Former Badger Ryan Helminen participates in PGA Championship
August 13, 2015 | Men's Golf
August 13, 2015
• PGA Leaderboard
MADISON, Wis. - Ryan Helminen, a four-year letterwinner for the Wisconsin men's golf team from 1995-99, is playing in his second-straight PGA Professional National Championship August 13-16 at Whistling Straits in Haven, Wisconsin.
Helminen, who is currently the PGA teaching professional at Ridgeway Country Club in Neenah, had the first tee time in round 1 at 6:45 a.m. today. The 40-year old shot a 4-over 76 and finished the day tied for 99th. He has 18 holes tomorrow to make the cut.
A resident of Menasha, Helminen lives about 45 minutes from Whistling Straits. He says he has played the course about 35 times in his career. By going off early, Helminen hoped the winds off Lake Michigan would be minimized. He will play in the afternoon on Friday.
Helminen has been playing professionally since 2000 and earned his PGA card in 2007. He qualified this year by virtue of tying for 10th place last week with a 2-over 74-70--284 at the PGA National Championship in Flourtown, Pennsylvania. A year ago he shot rounds of 71 and 73 to miss the 36-hole cut by one stroke at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. He was the low club pro on the field.
Among his most recent golfing titles was a win at the 2014 TaylorMade National Championship at Pebble Beach. He was the 2008 Wisconsin State Open winner, he won the 2007 TaylorMade-adidas Pro-Am Championship and claimed victory at the 2010 Minnesota Tapemark Invitational. This is the eighth-straight year he has qualified for the PGA National Championship where his best finish was a tie for 24th in 2011.
He was named the Wisconsin PGA Player of the Year in 2007, 2008 and 2009. He finished tied for fifth in the 2006 PGA Assistant Professional Championship.
As a Badger, he was a member of the 1996 Big Ten Runners-up championship team. He was the first freshman since 1989 to lead the squad at the conference meet placing seventh with a 72-hole total 295 which still ranks 21st best all-time. He led the Badgers that season with a 75.46 strokes per round.
As a high school player, Helminen was a four-year letterwinner in both golf and hockey, and was named all-state in both sports.
