Michael

Putnam

Putnam completed his second round hours ago, but we needed to wait for the cut line to fall, or at least establish itself as it has now. Putnam hit 29 greens but managed to convert only seven birdies. He required 62 putts. This leaves him with two starts on his medical extension in the reshuffle category to earn $269,766 and a promotion into the Major Medical category. He’s the ninth alternate in the published field of next week’s Wells Fargo Championship.

Making his first start anywhere since the end of July last summer due to a fractured lunate bone in his left wrist, Putnam played lights out for two-thirds of today’s opener at Le Triomphe Country Club in Broussard. He stood bogey-free 6-under through 13 holes with an eagle and four birdies. Alas, he played the final five in 3-over with three bogeys. Nevertheless, as long as he didn’t suffer a setback, this was an extremely encouraging return.

Putnam received a sponsor exemption when Arjun Atwal withdrew. Putnam was the second alternate at the time. In his return to the PGA TOUR last week, he missed the cut at TPC San Antonio by eight strokes. He’s 1-for-2 at TPC Louisiana with a T28 in 2007. He has three starts remaining on his medical extension in the reshuffle category to earn $269,766 a promotion to the Major Medical category, but he can secure conditional status as a safety net with a payday of at least $13,543.

This was his first start on the PGA TOUR since late July due to a fractured lunate bone in his left wrist. He went 2-for-3 in Nationwide Tour rehab starts over the last month, including a T9 last week. Over the last two days at TPC San Antonio, he hit only 17 greens in regulation and carded 19 bogeys. This leaves him with three starts on his medical extension in reshuffle category to earn $269,766 and an elevation into the Major Medical category.

Back in January, Putnam pointed to this tournament for the site where he’d resume play. He’s been out seven and a half months due to a fractured lunate bone in his left wrist for which he didn’t have surgery. Assuming all goes well in his rehab, look for him to make his PGA TOUR return at next month’s Valero Texas Open. When he does, he’ll have four starts on a medical extension in the reshuffle category to earn $268,766 and a promotion to the Major Medical category.

"(Doctors) did not give me best-case scenario – just the normal-case,” Putnam said of the fractured lunate bone in his left wrist. “And I have been slower in the bone-healing.” According to doctors, his wrist has healed just 40 percent since the injury. His next MRI is scheduled to next week in Seattle. According to the report by The News Tribune, Putnam will receive four starts on a Major Medical Extension (reshuffle category) in 2012. Given that he finished 2011 with $398,400, to be elevated to the MME category, he’ll need to bank $269,766. In the meantime, Putnam’s return is unknown. “I am hopeful I would not have to take too much longer than the first month off. But I am going to play when I am healthy, no matter when it is – if it is in January in Los Angeles, or Pebble Beach in February or Puerto Rico in March.”

Medical extensions among Nationwide Tour and Q School grads have been given their own Priority Ranking (No. 26) in 2012 but they will still reshuffle along with the graduates in No. 25. To get elevated to the Major Medical category (No. 21) for the remainder of the year, Putnam needs to earn $268,766 in his first four starts. Short of that, he can secure conditional status by clearing $13,543. Given his low spot in the overall pecking order, he’ll be fortunate to climb into three fields on merit on the West Coast Swing. However, it’s possible that he won’t return to competition for a couple of months due to his injury. No reason to invest at this time.

Sidelined with a fractured lunate bone in his left wrist since late July, Putnam alerted us in December that it was healing slowly. On Jan. 24, he alerted his followers on Twitter as follows: “Just got the doctors call saying its ok if I start golf related activities again!!! Can’t wait to be back out there!” After three rehab starts on the Nationwide Tour, he plans to return to the PGA TOUR at the Valero Texas Open on April 19. He has four starts on a medical extension in the reshuffle category to earn $268,766 and get elevated to the Major Medical category.

Putnam hit only nine greens in regulation in his second round. He paid for the sloppiness with six bogeys and a double. Now 0-for-3 on the PGA TOUR since returned from a wrist injury, he has one start remaining on his medical extension in the reshuffle category to earn $269,766 and a promotion into the Major Medical category. He’s also just $13,543 shy of securing conditional status for the remainder of the year.

It was a splendid turnaround for the big guy but obviously not quite enough to earn a payday. This was his last start on a medical extension in the reshuffle category, so it’s worth noting that he split all 14 fairways and hit 14 greens in his second round en route to seven birdies. For the record, he fell short of earning a promotion to the Major Medical category by $269,766. Putnam also failed to secure conditional status by $13,543. As a non-winner, he has lost his PGA TOUR status.