Old Chatham Golf Club Instructor Patrick Kelley Guides Michael Putnam To Web.com Tour Title

Putnam Named Web.com Tour Player Of The Year, Earns PGA TOUR Card

(DURHAM, N.C.) – Michael Putnam, student of Old Chatham Golf Club’s renowned PGA Tour instructor Patrick Kelley, was recently named the Web.com Tour Player of the Year in a vote submitted by his peers. Putnam, who enjoyed his most successful season as a professional golfer in 2013, finished the regular season at the top of the Web.com Tour money rankings, earning a total of $450,184 in prize money. Putnam won back-to-back tournaments in late May and early June, including the Mexico Championship on May 26 and the Mid-Atlantic Championship on June 2. In addition, he placed in the top 10 at seven different tournaments on the Web.com Tour.

The 30-year-old professional narrowly missed his PGA TOUR card at the 2012 Qualifying Tournament (known as Q-School), which made him eager to accomplish his goal in 2013. After back-to-back wins in late May and early June, he achieved PGA TOUR status for the new 2013-2014 wrap-around season. By finishing No. 1 on the Web.com Tour money rankings, he officially earned a spot to compete in THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. in May 2014.

“I am excited for Michael to be named the Web.com Tour Player of the Year and very proud of his many achievements in 2013,” said Kelley. “Michael has dedicated a significant amount of time practicing on the golf course to take his game to the next level, and he is deserving of this wonderful recognition. I know Michael will be successful on the PGA Tour, and I look forward to working with him in 2014 to continue improving his game.”

Kelley has served as Putnam’s instructor since 2011, and he regularly travels with Putnam to tournaments. Putnam, a native of Seattle, frequently visits Old Chatham Golf Club to practice with Kelley and take advantage of Old Chatham’s competitive course.

When Kelley and Putnam began working together, Putnam had made seven straight cuts for PGA Tour events, including the 2011 U.S. Open, before breaking his hand a couple weeks later. After being away from golf for eight months, Putnam returned to the sport in 2012 and finished the latter part of the season on the Web.com Tour while practicing with Kelley. Putnam is sponsored by Lonesource, a Cary-based company where Old Chatham member Bradley King served as CEO before it was purchased by Staples.