Puerto Rico Open: Field Preview, Betting Odds And Picks
While most of the golf world will be tuned into the WGC-Workday Championship at The Congression Golf Club, there is another event fans can watch this week. The Puerto Rico Open at Grand Reserve Country Club will also be taking place this week. The opposite-field event features a field with its fair share of veterans but also some upcoming prospects looking for their first PGA Tour victory.
Field
The 132 player field is headlined by a pair of European Tour stars both looking for their first PGA Tour win. Thomas Pieters and Matt Wallace both have made the trip overseas to try and secure a victory on North American soil. Other notable players include three-time PGA Tour winner Ian Poulter, Emiliano Grillo, Brendan Grace, and Byeong-Hun An. European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington is also in the field, his third PGA Tour start in 2021.
Course
The event will be held in the Rio Grande at the Grand Reserve County Club. The venue was designed by 19-time PGA Tour winner Tom Kite. The course is a par 72 that plays over 7,500 yards. The back nine features two par 5’s that are over 600 yards, including the 18th hole which is listed at 630 yards.
Puerto Rico Open Past Winners
2020: Viktor Hovland (-20)
2019: Martin Trainer (-15)
2018: Unofficial fundraising event for Hurricane Maria relief efforts
2017: D.A. Points (-20)
2016: Tony Finau (-12)
Betting Board
The odds used in this article can be found online at popular betting sites, for more information on the best odds and sportsbook’s available locally to you check out The Action Network
Thomas Pieters (+1400) is the betting favorite, with Emiliano Grillo and Matt Wallace (+1600) following behind him. Ian Poulter and Brendan Grace (+1800) round out the top of the board.
Byeong-Hun An+2000 headlines the rest of the field that features a ton of young star looking to breakthrough. Former College stars Justin Suh +2800, Brandon Wu +3300, Taylor Pendrith +3300, and Will Gordon +4000 all are looking to grab their first PGA Tour victories.
Puerto Rico Open Picks
Thomas Pieters +1400
The 29-year old is in a prime position to collect his first professional win since 2019 this week. Pieters is the most talented players in the field. He has shown he can win on the European Tour, where he has earned four career wins. He also has proven he can perform on golf biggest stage, posting a record of 4-1-0 for Team Europe at the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club. On top of all that, he is in very good form. He has had a strong start to the season on the European Tour, making three straight cuts, including a T10 finish in his last start at the Saudi Invitational.
Jhonattan Vegas +3500
Jhonattan Vegas has proven he has what it takes to win on the PGA Tour. The 36-year old has three career victories on Tour, including back-to-back Canadian Open titles. On top of the winning pedigree, Vegas has posted strong results at this event. In 2020, Vegas finished T9, highlighted by a 10-under 62 in the final round.
Cameron Percy +5000
The 46-year old Australian has been in solid form to start the 2021 season. He has made two of three cuts, posting a T21 finish at Pebble Beach during his last tournament. He has made the cut in his past three starts at this event, including a pair of Top 30 finishes.
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The Puerto Rico Open gets underway on Thursday, February 25th, teeing off at 7:00 am ET.