Niall Lyons shares his golf betting tips and preview for the Puerto Rico.
Puerto Open Winner
The Puerto Rico Open has forever been behind the curtain of another big tour event and this week is no different as the tour's second string and KFT dogs take to the Grand Reserve Golf course. It's a flat golf course exposed to winds with Paspalum putting surfaces that we only see a handful of times throughout the year. In that respect it's worth a nod to putting form in Punta Cana and at Mayakoba.
In recent years this can be seen as an opportunity for some up and coming talented sorts and possibly some old timers looking to regain their place on the big stage. Grace did that a few years ago although it must be said he is far from finished in his career.
Not the case that can be made for Alex Cejka who won this in the twilight of his pga tour career back in 2015. Finau won in 2016 to establish himself as a major force in the game, little did we know how long it would take him to follow it up. Hovland won in 2020 and used that as a springboard to greater success.
Austin Smotherman at 70/1 (Eight Places)
Having finished 67th at Waialae in January Austin Smotherman has since posted four missed cuts on the trot. The quality of those four fields was significantly greater than what is presented this week and there was enough in his last two performances to suggest he could make some kind of impact here.
During round one last time out at Riviera he ranked 3rd in the field for approach play with his driving and short game letting him down. Missing the cut there by two strokes wasn't the worst of efforts and round one showed what he is capable of with the irons.
Previous to that he was 16th OTT in round 1, and 29th OTT in round 2 of the Phoenix Open but missed the cut comfortably once again with a really poor game on and around the greens. Those efforts off the tee and on approach during those two missed cuts are positives and we can expect a much better showing in a field of this quality.
1pt each-way A.Smotherman 70/1 (1/5 8) Bet365
Jim Herman at 60/1 (Eight Places)
Jim Herman is a three time winner on the pga tour with his most recent win coming back in August 2020 at the Wyndham. Previous to that he did pick up the Barbasol, another event which plays second fiddle to the main tour event on the same week. The Wyndham win came after 77th in the PGA and two missed cuts the previous two weeks.
The Barbasol win came after eight missed cuts on the trot. With a recent made cut in Phoenix then a 14th placed finish last week at PGA National we can assume that Herman is in much better shape than usual.
Last year here he posted a first round of 76 before going 66-66-69 over the next three days to post a top 10 finish. For someone with two wins in the last four years, good current form against a much better field and relevant course form from last year I expected much less than the 66/1 out there right now.
1pt each-way J.Herman 60/1 (1/5 8) Bet365
Carson Young at 125/1 (Eight Places)
There was plenty to like about Carson Young's performance at PGA National to suggest he is worth following in this week at triple figures. Young had been performing admirably in recent weeks from tee to green whilst having zero joy on the greens.
That changed in round one last week where he ranked the best putter in the field during round 1 when he shot 5 under par and shared the lead after day one. His putter then dipped the next couple of days before ranking 3rd in the field on the greens for the final round.
Sods law though rears it's head with his iron play not near the same calibre as recent weeks but finally getting some joy with the putter. His sole Korn Ferry Tour win came nearby on the same continent winning the Panama Championship back in February last year. What odds a Young/Young double as two maidens get over the line on the same week?
1pt each-way C.Young 125/1 (1/5 8) Bet365
Hank Lebioda at 66/1 (Eight Places)
Hank Lebioda hasn't quite hit the heights of mid 2021 where he put together a run of top 10 finishes and could have broken his PGA Tour duck. Ever since it has been somewhat of a struggle with only two top 20 finishes since coming at the 3M Open and then at Pabble Beach at the start of February.
That effort was encouraging and there are positives to be taken away from last week where he missed the cut on the number. He was out of it after round 1 of 6 over par but bounced back with a four under par round on Friday ranking 17th in the field with his approach play and 7th on the greens. Being a Floridian he can be expected to go well in those conditions and any wind that plays its part here this week as it often does should suit Hank.
1pt each-way H.Lebioda 66/1 (1/5 8) Bet365
Kyle Stanley at 100/1 (Six Places)
Finally I'll take a chance on Kyle Stanley who is playing on a medical exemption on tour. Stanley has had chronic issues with his short game down the last few years and whilst occasionally showing enough skill in his long game to contend events, he is usually fighting a losing battle when it comes to the putter.
None more so was this evident but last week at the Honda where he made his first cut on tour since this exact event last March. A year is a long time not to make a cut on the PGA Tour but that he did at PGA National ranking 5th on approach, 19th OTT and 11th from tee to green. That is hugely encouraging but the downside being he ranked stone last in the field for strokes gained putting.
The only positive you can take from it is that he improved on the final day to rank 32nd on the greens for round four. His ball striking was too good to ignore though and any sort of form on the greens would give him a massive chance to turn his career around if he arrives with a similar long game to which he did at PGA National.
1pt each-way K.Stanley 100/1 (1/5 6) Skybet
