Chandler Blanchet converts conditional status into chase of PGA TOUR

Matt Wolff.

Collin Morikawa.

Chandler Blanchet.

Jon Rahm.

Those are the last four winners of the Golfstat Cup, an award given annually to the collegiate player with the best scoring average (adjusted for par) during a season. Three of those names have combined for six PGA TOUR wins and 46 top-10s, while the fourth, Blanchet, has yet to make his first TOUR start.

“It’s awesome to see the caliber of guys on that list; I think Tiger won it back in 1995-96, way back in the day,” said Blanchet, the first D-II player to ever win the award. “It’s cool to see. It shows that there is good competition everywhere. Whether it’s D-I or D-II, there truly is great competition out there.”

During the 2016-17 season, Blanchet’s junior campaign at the University of West Florida, he put together arguably the most dominant season of any D-II player in history. The accolades kept coming: seven wins, an NCAA individual title and a scoring average of 68.76. He won six of his last seven events of the year, finishing runner-up in the other. The season was so dominant that it overshadowed his senior year (he still won four more times).

But even after a record-setting collegiate career, the start to one’s professional career is never easy. Blanchet made just three of 10 cuts on the Mackenzie Tour in 2018 and didn’t advance through First Stage at the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament that fall.

“Getting from college to professional golf, it doesn’t seem like it would be a big difference; you’re still playing golf,” said Blanchet. “But all of the responsibilities you have of travel and how much to practice, when to practice, where to stay, etc. It was a lot and it was a big learning curve right away.”

He earned status on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica in 2019, but after an up-and-down start was preparing to sign up for the Qualifying Tournament again.

“Last year, I was like 75th on the money list on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica in the spring,” reflected Blanchet. “An okay spring, but no great finishes. And then I had one event before the cutoff for First Stage and I went out and won. That was huge. That got me into Second Stage.”

Having reached Second Stage – known as the toughest cut in golf – Blanchet started the tournament strong and tried to just hit it to the center of the green during the final round. He later noted his WHOOP app recorded his strain as the highest it had ever been during that final day.

Ultimately, he finished top-20 at Second Stage to reach Final Stage and officially become a Korn Ferry Tour member. But then came another obstacle. He finished just T121 at Final Stage, earning him low conditional status on Tour in 2020.

“I was definitely not getting any starts,” sighed Blanchet. “I looked at the schedule and was thinking, ‘How many Monday qualifiers can I compete in before PGA TOUR Latinoamérica or Mackenzie Tour starts?’ I was going to do as many Mondays as I could. I knew I only had to get in one and see what I could do.”

After failing to advance through the first couple Monday qualifiers of the year, Blanchet got his break in Sarasota. He went 6-under over his final four holes – two eagles and two birdies – to qualify for the LECOM Suncoast Classic, his first start on the Korn Ferry Tour.

“I knew I deserved to be there that week and belonged there; I just tried not to look around at everyone else,” said Blanchet of the life-changing week in Sarasota. “The game was feeling good. I loved the course and all of the tee shots. Being from Florida, the course suited me. Once I made the cut, the mindset was to do as well as I could to better my status.”

Blanchet did more than make the cut. He finished T4 after rounds of 65-67 on the weekend, setting him up to get starts through the reshuffle for the rest of the year.

The elation of the week didn’t last long, however. Five days after his finish, Blanchet missed a step and fractured his ankle. Looking at a recovery timetable of eight to 12 weeks, Blanchet would have to shelve his improved status for at least six events. But then came the pandemic and a halt of sports across the world.

“I felt like my game was really good right when I had my big week in LECOM, but then when I hurt my ankle for a while it was just lack of strength,” said Blanchet. “I took four weeks off of swinging and eased my way back. But I’d say I’m back to 100 percent now. The timing worked out well for me in that regard. I was okay with the time off; it benefitted my rehab.”

Since returning, Blanchet has made two of four cuts and was contending again at the Utah Championship before a poor final round. The 24-year-old has had time to catch his breath and particularly appreciates knowing he has a place to play golf for at least the next year and a half.

“It’s nice to have that backing right now; no matter what, we have these two years to compete,” said Blanchet. “It’s like Will Zalatoris said in Colorado, ‘There are a lot of opportunities to win three times. You win three events and you are on the PGA TOUR.’ Through three events, I was in contention twice and playing in the last few groups. And it was two different times during the year, not back-to-back. So it shows me the game has been steady this year.”

Nowadays with strong status on the Korn Ferry Tour, Blanchet has settled into a routine. He’s a long way from early last year when he had a one-day stint as an Uber driver. (“I think I did two rides and made 40 bucks and decided I need to get back to trying to make more birdies.”) He’s the proof that it just takes one Monday qualifier and one tournament to change the course of one’s career.