With the limited-field RBC Heritage the main event on the PGA Tour this week, there is still golf to be played for other pros at the alternate field Corales Puntacana Championship, the only Tour event held in the Dominican Republic. Opening odds suggest a struggle at the top of the leaderboard with eight players boasting odds of 30/1 or shorter. Alex Noren hit the board as the favorite with Nicolai Hojgaard close behind. Former winners Chad Ramey (2022) and Joel Dahmen (2021) are also included in the field. The tournament debuted in 2016 and was part of the Korn Ferry Tour for two years and it’s always been competitive. Matt Wallace won last year by one shot over Hojgaard, the fifth straight tournament to end with a single-shot victory. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete updated list of betting odds when you’re ready to make a wager.
Corales Puntacana Championship Betting Odds
Alex Noren +1400
Nicolai Hojgaard +1600
Aaron Rai +2200
Billy Horschel +2200
Doug Ghim +2800
Kevin Yu +2800
Nate Lashley +2800
Davis Thompson +3000
Mark Hubbard +3300
Victor Perez +3300
Ben Martin +3500
Sam Stevens +3500
Ben Griffin +4000
Chan Kim +4500
Garrick Higgo +4500
K.H. Lee +4500
Nick Hardy +4500
Bud Cauley +5000
Daniel Berger +5000
Joseph Bramlett +5000
Sam Ryder +5000
Justin Lower +5500
Greyson Sigg +6000
Hayden Springer +6000
Jhonattan Vegas +6000
Joel Dahmen +6000
Mac Meissner +6000
Matti Schmid +6000
Joe Highsmith +6500
Justin Suh +6500
Max Greyserman +6500
Taylor Pendrith +6500
Thriston Lawrence +6500
Tyler Duncan +6500
Odds Analysis
Daniel Berger +5000
There is no Scottie Scheffler to contend with leaving the field wide open. And just when you think a player has no business winning he shocks everyone. Berger has struggled without a win since the 2021 Pebble Beach Pro-Am and he’s missed more cuts than he’s made this season. Not encouraging for an outright pick. But Berger has played solid golf on coastal wind-aided locations, like Pebble Beach and Mayakoba, so there is hope.
Garrick Higgo +4500
This tournament has the feel of a DP World Tour event and Higgo had plenty of success on that circuit. A few years ago he won his first PGA Tour start, but he’s yet to match and didn’t do himself any favors with additional pressure. There’s very little outside influence this week and we’ve seen Higgo have some of his better outings in alternate events and similar field tournaments. He needs a more well-rounded game but has shown distance off the tee.
Nicolai Hojgaard +1600
After his showing at the Masters and last year’s runner-up finish here I had to back Hojgaard. He was poised beyond his years challenging some of the game’s top players to finish T16 at Augusta after an opening 67. He faded but you have to think the whole experience is positive and will only affect his game in a good way. Hojgaard finished 18-under last year, a score that would’ve gotten him first or a share of it in each of the previous five editions.
Mark Hubbard +3300
We don’t often hear about guys like Hubbard. He turned pro in 2012 competing in relative obscurity without a Tour victory. In more than 210 career starts he finished among the top 10 in 12 of them with one runner-up. He’s good enough to hang around but not good enough to beat the best players. That’s why an alternate field tournament is just the thing. Hubbard has a strong all-around game and is seemingly a good fit for the layout.
Aaron Rai +2200
Though it’s a wide-open field, the better players usually have an advantage. And not being THE favorite is even less pressure for Rai. A European Tour alum with five victories who could benefit from a similar-themed tournament, Rai has good value at his price and with his current form. He’s been consistent all season and just a few weeks ago challenged for the title at the Houston Open ending with a share of seventh.
Course: Corales Golf Club – 7,670 yards, Par 72
The Corales Course at Puntacana Resort and Club is long measuring 7,670 yards, but it is forgiving with wide fairways, rough that is more of a nuisance and slow greens. The field has hit more than 70 percent of fairways in the last six Tour stops here making this a second shot and short game sprint all but eliminating distance off the tee. Hitting the ball long and straight does have its advantages, though. We’ve seen low scores in the past with the first two winners at 20-under or better when it was a KFT event. The next three winners each carded 18-under while Wallace was 19-under last year. The tournament has also had drama with each of the past five winners finishing a single shot ahead of the field. The course is nestled along the coast with breathtaking views and we typically see winds come into play.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel
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