Preview
2023 Puerto Rico Open Tips
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Event Info
Starts: 2nd March 2023
Course: Grand Reserve GC, Puerto Rico
Par: 72
Length: 7,506
2022 Champion: Ryan Brehm
Course Info
Designer: Tom Kite
Hosted since: 2008
Course type: Coastal
Fairways: Wide
Rough: Minimal (2 inches)
Greens: Paspalum, 11 on the Stimp
Water Hazards: Nine holes
Par 5's: 2nd, 5th, 15th and 18th
Premium on: Greens in Regulation
Significant Info
This is an alternate field event, an opportunity for those players unable to get into the Arnold Palmer Invitational to try and secure a win.
Weather
Available week of the tournament.
Thursday: Sunny. Wind 7-11mph.
Friday: Possible rain showers in afternoon. Wind 7-11mph.
Saturday: Thundery showers. Wind 7-9mph.
Sunday: Thundery showers. Wind 9-13mph.
Trends
Winning Score
In 2015 and 2016 the winning scores were -7 and -12, but the last five events have been won with scores ranging between -15 and -20.
World Ranking
The world ranking of recent winners has been 773-147-100-285-626-103-285-92-291 (most recent first). Surprises can happen in this event, factor that into your Puerto Rico Open picks!
Correlating Courses
Look at other coastal events like the Mayakoba Classic, Bermuda Championship and the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship.
Course Form
Five of the last eight winners were course debutants so course experience isn't important. However, since 2010, every winner who wasn't a debutant had previously posted a top 13 finish prior to winning.
Recent Form
Look for results at the Pebble Beach as seven of the last nine winners had made the cut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am earlier that year.
Nationality
Since this became a PGA Tour event in 2008, we have had eleven winners from the USA, two from Europe and one South African.
Stats Analysis
There are no Strokes Gained statistics at the Puerto Rico Open so we revert to traditional stats.
Driving Accuracy
The last six winners have ranked 58-56-23-62-1-22. We aren't factoring in Driving Accuracy to our 2023 Puerto Rico Open picks.
Driving Distance
The last six winners have ranked 2-49-16-11-81-6. Several winners have used driving distance to their advantage but it is not essential.
Greens in Regulation
The last six winners have ranked 15-3-8-4-1-14. Hitting Greens is the key to success at the Puerto Rico Open.
Putts Per GIR
The last six winners have ranked 3-29-3-3-11-54. An ability to putt Paspalum greens is hugely beneficial.
In-Play
Tough Holes
The 1st and 14th have ranked inside the top three hardest holes in each of the last two years.
Birdie Holes
The 2nd, 5th and 18th play as the easiest holes on the course.
Closing Stretch
The 17th and 18th holes offer birdie opportunities, ranking stroke index 15 and 16 last year.
Fast or Slow Start
The last five winners have all been within five shots of the leader after round one. Four of the last five have been within four shots of the lead.
2023 Puerto Rico Open Tips
You can sign up for all our Puerto Rico Open tips and PGA Tour tips for 2023 by clicking the button below.
In-play
2023 Puerto Rico Open In-Play Blog
5th March 2023, 11:55am (UK time)
| Player | Total |
|---|
| Echavarria |
-17 |
| Young |
-15 |
| Stevens |
-13 |
| Lashley |
-13 |
| Bhatia |
-12 |
| Hall |
-12 |
2023 Puerto Rico Open Round 3 Summary
Nico Echavarria shot a joint best of the day 65 to take over at the top of the leaderboard. Round two leader, Carson Young, could only manage a round of 71 and he now trails by two shots.
Notable Round 1 Puerto Rico Open Round 3 Quotes
"I played solid today, I just didn't hit anything really close, left myself 20, 30 feet a lot for birdie and hit a bunch of good putts, just nothing dropped for me. I still feel good about my game. I drove it better today than I did yesterday, which is a positive. Today, I mean, it was just a grind today just because I wasn't hitting really anything close, but I feel good about my game and I'm ready to see what I can do tomorrow. " Carson Young
"'I mean, it's (his back) just a little stiffer than normal. Obviously you always have a little -- I'm 40 years old so I always have a little bit of back issues, but it's just getting some of my lower left side and it's just a little stiff and having a little trouble turning, not hitting it quite as solid as I normally do." Nate Lashley
"It was a dream start. I found something on the range yesterday and even if I felt nervous out there today on some holes, I just kept putting my game plan and my feeling of what I found on the range and it worked really good. Happy with how I played, happy with the shots I hit when I was under pressure. Hopefully we can do it tomorrow." Nico Echavarria
2023 Puerto Rico Open Round 4 Weather
Conditions are expected to be much the same as the opening three days - sunny with the wind peaking in the afternoon at 14mph.
How do we expect the market favourites to perform?
Nico Echavarria is the even money favourite going into the final round. The Colombian ranks 8th in Greens in Regulation this week and suggested in his interview after yesterday's round that he had found something with his swing. However, this is new territory for him and much will depend on how he copes with his nerves.
Echavarria hasn't held a third round lead since 2018 and none of his experience when front running has come on the Korn Ferry or PGA Tour. We're happy to take him on in today's final round.
Carson Young (4/1) is the man the bookmakers see as the most likely to challenge Echavarria and being the chaser may serve him well in the final round. Young's win in Panama last year on the Korn Ferry Tour followed a similar pattern, which saw him have a poor Saturday and win from off the pace.
Sam Stevens and Nate Lashley are available at 8/1 and 17/2 respectively. Neither make huge appeal though. Lashley has back issues and isn't hitting it how he would like to and Stevens has been inside the top 10 after 54 holes on four occasions since May 2022 and failed to improve his position in any of those four final rounds.
Where is the value?
The last four winners of this event have been inside the top three going into the final round. However, with doubts over the leaders we haven't completely discounted those players at twelve under par. We could well see a shock winner this evening.
Round 4 Bet
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4th March 2023, 08:35am (UK time)
| Player | Total |
|---|
| Young |
-14 |
| Haley II |
-10 |
| Echavarria |
-10 |
| Higgs |
-9 |
| Six players tied |
-8 |
2023 Puerto Rico Open Round 2 Summary
Carson Young extended his lead at the top to four shots after a round of 67.
Notable Round 1 Puerto Rico Open Round 2 Quotes
"I didn't quite have it like I did yesterday obviously, but it was still good. My tee shots weren't quite the way I wanted them today, I got into trouble a good bit, but my short game really saved me today. I holed a bunker shot and had a bunch of really good par saves today that really got me going. Just hope the putter stays hot and get that driver sorted out the next couple days and I should be in good shape. " Carson Young
"'m from Dallas and my course also has a lot of crosswinds and there's a lot of crosswinds out here, so I feel comfortable out there. Kind of know what shots to play. I hit the ball pretty low anyways, so a solid 15- to 20-mile-an-hour wind is not really going to affect my ball maybe as much as some other guys that hit it really high. It's been not as big of an adjustment for me as maybe some of the other guys." Paul Haley II
" I didn't feel like I had it at the beginning. I was fighting with the swing. There's a lot of wind out there and I was able to manage pars and good birdies. I was scratching my way around. And the back nine played a little easier with less wind. Hit three really good shots on 2 and made eagle. It was a quick turnaround. " Nico Echavarria
2023 Puerto Rico Open Round 3 Weather
Conditions are expected to be much the same as rounds one and two - sunny with the wind peaking in the afternoon at 15mph.
How do we expect the market favourites to perform?
Carson Young is the 19/10 favourite. A winner last year on the Korn Ferry Tour in Panama, Young has shown that he can win if the opportunity presents itself. However, it should be noted that he has very little experience of leading an event, his win having come from off the pace.
Young's tee to green game in round two was considerably worse than round one and it was notable in his post-round interview that he referenced his short game had saved him on several occasions. It wouldn't be a surprise to see his lead shortened today.
Where is the value?
Much depends on how Carson Young performs over the weekend. Two further rounds under par will certainly put him in a good position to win his first PGA Tour title but we think he could be challenged over the weekend.
Round 3 Bet
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3rd March 2023, 00:25am (UK time)
| Player | Total |
|---|
| Young |
-9 |
| McGreevy |
-6 |
| Bhatia |
-6 |
| Haas |
-5 |
| Piercy |
-5 |
| Nunez |
-5 |
| Echavarria |
-5 |
2023 Puerto Rico Open Round 1 Summary
Carson Young leads after the opening round for the second week in a row after a sparkling round of 63. A solitary bogey was tempered by three eagles and four birdies and he now enjoys a three shot lead at the top of the leaderboard.
Notable Round 1 Puerto Rico Open Round 1 Quotes
"I'm learning every week, I'm getting more comfortable out here. It's nice, I've actually played here a couple years ago, it was my first PGA TOUR event, so at least I've seen this course whereas the West Coast Swing it was a bunch of courses that I've never seen and a bunch of practice rounds. It was nice to be on the east coast again with the bermudagrass, which is what I'm used to. Having to play one course is nice." Carson Young
"My game's felt good. It's been strange, I haven't been able to make anything click or anything like that. Luckily, just coming back to a place that I like and played well at last year for some reason just kind of freed me up and let me click a little bit more today. Yeah, my results haven't been great this year, but the game's felt good and it's been in the right direction, so it's good to see this actually happening." Max McGreevy
"I feel very comfortable playing in the wind. This golf course, I've looked at the scores the last few years and when I showed up and played nine holes, I don't know how 20 under's won like every year. But you can get it going if you hit it in the fairway. I think the biggest thing for me is making putts and I did a lot of that today. I saved a lot of really good pars and made a few really good longer putts kind of throughout the round." Akshay Bhatia
2023 Puerto Rico Open Round 2 Weather
Conditions are expected to be much the same as round one - sunny with the wind peaking in the afternoon at 15mph.
How do we expect the market favourites to perform?
Carson Young is the 5/1 favourite given he enjoys a three stroke lead. He was a winner on the Korn Ferry Tour in Panama last year and has shown he can win if the opportunity presents itself. An early tee time in round two gives him the best of conditions and he could well set a round two clubhouse target.
However, it should be noted that Young's win in Panama was his only top 10 of the 2022 season. He isn't the most consistent of golfers and for that reason we're happy to swerve the 5/1 for the time being.
Akshay Bhatia is priced up as the 8/1 second favourite. A winner on the Korn Ferry Tour two weeks before Young struck, the talented youngster has also shown he can win. His price is no more than fair though and we're happy to look further down the betting.
Where is the value?
We mentioned in the preview that four of the last five winners have been within four shots of the lead after the opening round. However, we're prepared to look a little further down the leaderboard given Carson Young holds a three shot lead over the field.
Round 2 Bet
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Event Stats
Event Stats Coming Soon
