Held as an alternate field event alongside the WGC at The Concession, the Puerto Rico Open didn’t attract the biggest names in the golfing community. But there are FedExCup points, a nice payout to the winner and, of course, a PGA Tour title at stake. A number of past PGA Tour winners, rising young stars looking for their first Tour victory, and the top performers from the Korn Ferry Tour make up the field. Ian Poulter is the highest ranked player in the field, but Thomas Pieters emerged as the betting favorite with odds suggesting a wide-open field. Five past winners of the PRO are scheduled to tee it up with the most recent being Martin Trainor in 2019. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of betting odds when you’re ready to place a wager.
Odds to Win Puerto Rico Open at BookMaker.eu
Thomas Pieters +1000
Matt Wallace +1200
Ian Poulter +1600
Branden Grace +1800
Emiliano Grillo +2000
Andrew Putnam +2200
Kyoung-Hoon Lee +2500
Byeong Hun An +2800
Tom Lewis +2800
Brandon Wu +3000
Greyson Sigg +3300
Patrick Rodgers +3300
Jhonattan Vegas +3500
Justin Suh +4000
Lee Hodges +4000
Ollie Schniederjans +4000
Davis Riley +4000
Lucas Glover +4500
Stephan Jaeger +5000
Taylor Pendrith +5500
Will Gordon +5500
Brandon Hagy +6000
Joseph Bramlett +6000
Roger Sloan +6000
Sam Ryder +6000
Ted Potter Jr +6000
Aaron Baddeley +6500
Kramer Hickok +6500
Padraig Harrington +6500
Tim Wilkinson +6500
Bronson Burgoon +7000
Cameron Percy +7000
Peter Uihlein +7000
Vaughn Taylor +7000
Scott Brown +7500
Anirban Lahiri +8000
Beau Hossler +8000
Joohyung Kim +8000
Josh Teater +8000
Kristoffer Ventura +8000
Odds Analysis
Will Gordon +5500
There are plenty of value picks further down the odds board in a field like this and one player who caught my eye is Gordon. The price had something to do with that, but so did a recent T21 at the Pebble Beach Pro Am, a possible sign that he’s emerging from a slump at the beginning of the new season. He collected a couple of top-10s last season, including a T3 at the Travelers, and responded well to his first rough patch as a pro by making the cut in three of his last four starts. He competed here last year posting a top-20 so he should feel comfortable with the surroundings.
Padraig Harrington +6500
I’ll admit I don’t know much about a lot of the players in the field so name recognition is a big deal. Harrington, a three time major champion, is probably the biggest name. And he’s anxious to play after a recent bout with COVID. Because of that I’ll excuse his MC at the Phoenix Open before his diagnosis and his MC at the Genesis after he was given the green light. The situation was less than ideal when he was cleared. A late night drive down the California coast didn’t give him a lot of time to prepare. Free from the shackles of the virus I expect big things from Harrington and will happily buy him at his current price.
Thomas Pieters +1000
Is it too cliché to take the favorite? I backed Viktor Hovland at identical odds last year and he won the thing, so I guess there is value in that pick. Pieters has never won on the PGA Tour but he does have four titles on the European Tour and is coming off a decent stretch of play on that circuit’s Middle East swing, including a T10 last time out at the Saudi International.
Ollie Schniederjans +4000
One of the top players on the Korn Ferry Tour, Schniederjans takes his whacks again on the PGA side. It’s been hit or miss for the guy on the KFT with five top-10s among his nine top-25s in 12 made cuts. The bad news is that he’s also missed the cut in six starts. He had a few starts on the PGA Tour grabbing a podium finish at the Bermuda Championship. He also has a pair of MCs. This field should be more to his liking which is why he’s worth a look.
Jhonattan Vegas +3500
Another player who could benefit from the watered down field is Vegas, who has struggled on Tour lately. He has one top-20 in nine starts this season finishing up his last outing with a one of his better rounds. Hopefully that solid 69 at Pebble Beach carries over to an event that’s seen Vegas get progressively better over the last four years. He captured a top-10 here last year and he’s a sleeper at his price.
Course: Grand Reserve Country Club – 7,506 yards, Par 72
It now goes by a different name, but the course is the same one that’s hosted the event since 2008. Stretched out to 7,506 yards at par 72, the Grand Reserve, formerly Coco Beach Golf and Country Club, is definitely on the long side, but it is a bit misleading. Only one par 4 hole plays over 460 yards, and a bulk of the course yardage comes in the form of two par 5s that play over 600 yards. Those are three-shot holes anyway negating any distance advantage. The first thought would be to bring out the big dogs and let it fly, but a number of obstacles stand in the way. There are water hazards and even more bunkers lining the track giving the field a chance to club down to avoid serious trouble. The forecast is calling for favorable conditions, which means the scores can plummet. However, situated along the coast, wind is always a factor.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu.
