It's been almost 40 years since anyone did what sophomore Ryan Brehm accomplished - he made the cut in the Buick Open as an amateur.

At the start of the tournament, there were 156 players at the start of the tournament, but only the top 79 made the cut. Brehm scored the four under par he needed to make the cut, beating out 78 other players. An amateur hadn't done this since 1966.

"It was the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life," said Debbie Brehm, Ryan Brehm's mother. "We were just very proud of him."

She said the experience was amazing for Brehm - children were even asking for his autograph.

"The people at the Buick were very accommodating," she said. "Here's this young kid, and they treated him like a pro."

Brehm said he was playing at his top game during the tournament. He shot a 71, 69, 77 and 77 for a total of 294, or 6 over par.

"It seemed like everything just clicked," Brehm said. "I just let it go."

Vijay Singh won the tournament with 264, or 24 under par. The total purse for the event was $4.6 million.

Brehm said the experience taught him a lot about being a golfer.

"I learned a lot about myself inside, what I need to do to manage my nerves," he said.

The tournament was four days long and took about four hours each day. The majority of his down time was devoted to practicing, Brehm said.

Playing in the Buick Open had always been a dream of his, he said.

"I always thought I could do it," he said. "I just had to talk my grandpa into paying the entry fee."

Debbie Brehm said she knew her son could make the Open someday, but was surprised he made it so soon.

"He's only 19," she said.

The Brehm family has always enjoyed golf, Ryan Brehm said, and ever since he started playing he "just loved it."

He was taught golf etiquette by his grandmother at a young age and had been playing with his uncle and father since he was about 8, Debbie Brehm said.

"Ryan has always had the interest, the drive (in golf)," she said.

She said she attributes her son's skill to his dedication to the game, his level headedness and his honesty.

"He has the focus," she said. "He's always willing to work hard to improve."

Brehm said he does not plan on playing the Buick Open again anytime soon.

"It was too rough to qualify," he said.

He will certainly continue playing golf and will try to bring his game to the next level, he said.