The course:
While the heavy hitters on the PGA Tour are over in Florida battling it out at Bay Hill (link to picks) we also have the 31st playing of the Puerto Rico Open! This event can trace its history back to 1956 but became a PGA Tour event in 2008.
Since becoming a PGA Tour event, it has always served as an alternate site during what used to be the WGC Cadillac, then the WGC Match Play, and now, an elevated event, the API.
This tournament will once again be contested at the Grand Reserve Country Club’s Tom Kite-designed course that plays to a par 72 across 7,500 yards. This is a coastal-style course that runs right up against the El Yunque Rainforest and is on the northern coast of this tiny island.
The biggest things to note about this course:
It is very susceptible to winds
Water is on play on 13 holes
The greens are paspalum
Prior results:
This tournament has been played 15 times as a PGA Tour event and in 10 of those times the victor was claiming their first PGA Tour victory.
2023 - Nico Echavarria (100-1) won his first PGA Tour event when he tied a tournament record by shooting -21 to best Akshay Bhatia (25-1) by 2 strokes
2022 - Ryan Brehm (50-1) won his first PGA Tour event when he blew away the field by shooting -20 and topping Max McGreevy (100-1) by 6 strokes
2021 - Branden Grace (20-1) shot -19 to win his 2nd PGA Tour event by beating Jhonattan Vegas (35-1) by 1 stroke
2020 - Tournament favorite Viktor Hovland (10-1) got his first PGA Tour win when he shot -20 to beat Josh Teater (150-1) by 1 stroke
Last year’s first-round leader was Carson Young who shot a 63 to lead by 3 strokes after 18 on his way to a T3 finish (-16). Eventual champion, Nico shot a 67 to sit 4 strokes off the lead in a tie for 4th after the first round.
I did not bet on this tournament last year.
The bets:
In addition to the API, we also have the Jonsson Workwear Open on the DPWT (link to picks) and the fact that this is an alternate event means I am keeping it pretty light with just 1.7u of risk:
Outright:
0.75u Rasmus Hojgaard 16-1
0.27u Robert MacIntyre 45-1
0.24u Ben Silverman 50-1
0.22u Jacob Bridgeman 50-1
0.19u Chandler Phillips 65-11
I tried to wait as long as I could to do these but I still do not see a Top 20 market anywhere. Once that opens I will be playing each of these in that market as well.
As always, I am using BetOnline and Bovada to pull these odds.
Good luck with all your action!
There is a great video about the guy that I suggest watching, and if nothing else, you can stare at his sweet mustache for an hour.