Clemson, S.C. — Bryson Nimmer became just the third active Clemson golfer in history to make the cut at a PGA Tour event when he shot a second round 75 to stand in a tie for 49th place after two rounds at the Puerto Rico Open in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. The Clemson senior shot a 69 in the opening round and stands at even par 144 after two rounds. One-over-par was the cutline for the tournament that included 132 players.
Nimmer is playing the tournament as an amateur and will continue to play for Clemson the remainder of the spring. He received the invitation to the Puerto Rico Open a month ago.
The native of Bluffton, S.C. joins Chris Patton and Doc Redman as the only active Clemson golfers to make the cut at a PGA Tour event. Patton made the cut and finished 39th at the 1990 Masters, while Redman made the cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Heritage Invitational last year.
On Friday, Nimmer had three birdies and six bogeys to go with nine pars on the way to his 75. He hit 10 of the 18 greens in regulation and had 30 putts for the 18 holes. He had four birdies and one bogey on Thursday on the par 72 course.
Nimmer was a co-medalist of the Puerto Rico Classic college tournament last weekend when he shot a 210 for 54 holes at the Rio Mar River Course, also in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
Nimmer is not the only Clemson golfer making news at the Puerto Rico Open. Former Clemson All-American D.J. Trahan is one of three leaders of the tournament after 36 holes. Trahan, who played for Clemson from 1999-2003 and was the leader of the school’s 2003 National Championship team, has had rounds of 69 and 67 for an eight under par score of 136.
Trahan hit 12-14 fairways and took just 27 putts on the way to making seven birdies on Friday. He made three birdies in succession on holes 10, 11 and 12.
Jonathan Byrd, an All-American for Larry Penley’s Clemson program from 1996-2000, also fired a 67 on Friday and is in a tie for seventh place. Byrd had an opening round 71 on Thursday.
Byrd shot a 38 on the back nine, his first nine of the day on Friday and it looked like he might not make the cut. He then shot a 29 on the front side to jump to seventh in the standings. Byrd had five birdies and an eagle on the front side on Friday.
