Puerto Rico Open Tips, Preview, Betting Odds & Tee Times

The PGA Tour certainly seems to have benefited from the alliance with the DPWT and from a neutral's perspective it has certainly been interesting to see European stalwarts battle it out and do well Stateside since the turn of the year.

Puerto Rico often suffered badly playing second fiddle to bigger PGA Tour events and although this week it's the case again, with the elevated status of the AP Invitational that field is limited, and in turn we get a much stronger turn out for events like Puerto Rico. It isn't the easiest to judge with stats from the event more or less non existent down the years but we have a strong profile for the course.

Puerto Rico Open Tips

• 2pts each-way C.Gotterup 28/1  (1/5 6) Sky Bet, Unibet
• 1.25pt each-way R.MacIntyre  40/1  (1/5 8) Bet365 8 place market
• 1.25pts each-way B.Silverman  40/1  (1/5 8) Bet365 8 place market
• 1pt each-way M.Trainer  80/1  (1/5 6) Unibet, BetMGM
• 0.75pt each-way A.Cook  150/1  (1/5 8) Bet365 8 place market

Grand Reserve GC is on the coast, flat and exposed to the elements. At the time of writing the wind doesn't look like playing much of a part this week with the opening few days being quite calm in the forecast.

Paspalum fairways and greens are certainly more prominent on both tours in the last decade or so and we must look to recent results at Vidanta, El Cardonal and Corales on the PGA Tour, as well as a glance at Yas Links, Ras, Bahrain and Mauritius on the DPWT. Below are the basic stats for the last three years accumulated here.

Nothing in particular stands out other than short game playing a fair part. Greens will be missed here with the inevitable breeze so it's no surprise the leader in the scrambling statistic has finished in the top five in two of the last three years.

Four of the top five last year all ranked inside the top 10 in putting average for the week and of the 17 who have made the top 5 over the last three years only two of those ranked outside the top 25 in putting for the week. 

Chris Gotterup at 28/1 (Six Places)

I'm not sure it's entirely sensible to get involved with the front end of this market but it certainly feels to me Chris Gotterup is on the verge of finally realising some of that potential that was much hyped when he came to our attention a year or two ago. A successful stint on the Korn Ferry Tour saw him gain his first full PGA Tour card and there have been some decent signs.

A first round of 69 in Mexico was good before having to withdraw because of illness, presumably the same stomach bug many of them come down with in Mexico. Last week he ranked 1st in approach play at PGA National, hitting a ton of approaches all week inside 20 feet.

He hits the ball a mile which is perfect for this venue. In two appearances here he was 7th in the 2022 renewal and three weeks prior to that he won at the same venue as an Amateur in the Puerto Rico Invitational. The added bonus of being greenside seeing his best friend Austin Eckroat win at the weekend means he has everything going for him here to land a maiden tour victory.

It's a shame we haven't been dangled a bigger carrot that 28/1 but I'd argue he's the most likely winner here and could be favourite.

2pts each-way C.Gotterup 28/1  (1/5 6) Skybet, Unibet

Robert MacIntyre at 40/1 (Eight Places)

Matti Schmid could take this chance slightly down in grade and it'd be no surprise should an Open Championship Silver Medal winner play well by the coast in Puerto Rico. Scott Brown has a tremendous record here including a victory and four top tens but we haven't seen him since November and he certainly wasn't in good form then. He is an interesting candidate though at triple figure prices.

Jorge Campillo is another with a fine record in windy spots and could take inspiration from fellow DPWT players this year. I'll opt for another dangerous European though in the shape of Robert MacIntyre who could take advantage from being bumped out of the Arnold Palmer. MacIntyre played well from tee to green last week at PGA National only to have another really poor week with the putter.

That has been the story of his year to date but that could all change with one good week on the greens. The rest of his game is firing and he's good by the Coast where the winds that materialise at any point will be of no bother to him.

The main reason for backing him here is that he wouldn't need to be at his total career best to win this event, and there have been plenty of times where he has been alongside the likes of Rasmus in the betting in Europe down the last few years yet this week we see more than double that price. It's a gamble that the putter behaves, but he's more than capable of winning an event of this quality.

1.25pt each-way R.MacIntyre  40/1  (1/5 8) Bet365 8 place market

Ben Silverman at 40/1 (Eight Places)

It was another successful week for Ben Silverman last week in Florida eventually finishing 16th and I didn't expect to see anything bigger than 33/1 this week and am pleasantly surprised by the odds. The Canadian has plenty of experience by the coast having attended Florida University and there's little to convince me otherwise that he won't continue on this fine run of late.

Prior to last week he finished 13th in Mexico whilst being comfortably the best putter in the field on those Paspalum greens. A made cut in the Farmers in a much stronger field was a fair effort, especially ball striking wise and another top 20 came at Waialae in January.

Silverman is flying and the fact his last victory came nearby in the Bahamas can only bring good memories travelling back in this direction. Hopefully he won't be too inconvenienced by the Monday finish in Florida but it's a short flight to Puerto Rico and his confidence must be sky high. 

1.25pts each-way B.Silverman  40/1  (1/5 8) Bet365 8 place marke

Martin Trainer at 80/1 (Six Places)

2019 Puerto Rico Champion Martin Trainer arrives here in some fine form and looks overpriced to go close to or land another victory here at Grand Reserve. Trainer's best three finishes in the last year were all at Paspalum venues finishing 22nd in Punta Cana, 15th at the WWT in Mexico then another top 20 at El Cardonal in Mexico in February.

Sandwiched either side of that effort in the Mexico Open are two top 8 finishes on the Korn Ferry Tour and Trainer certainly looks like someone who could provide a big threat to some of the weak looking market leaders in this event. 

1pt each-way M.Trainer  80/1  (1/5 6) Unibet, BetMGM

Austin Cook at 150/1 (Eight Places)

One former PGA Tour winner worth considering here is Austin Cook. He isn't terribly long off the tee which is somewhat of a disadvantage here but his short game could make up for it and I'm happy to get involved at triple figures. Cook won the RSM Classic back in 2018, after showing some signs of improvement in the few weeks prior.

After a miserable time on tour last season he began to turn it around with a top ten in Mexico, at the Paspalum course El Cardonal. 13th the following week in Bermuda was another fine effort and with another 13th placed finish earlier in the year in Punta Cana it showed us his three best results came by the coast, and two of them on the same type of grass we see this week.

11th last time out in Panama on the Korn Ferry Tour was another positive meaning three of his last seven efforts have resulted in top 15 finishes. With his form by the coast better than fair and a good scrambling game, Cook could figure in the finish here trying to land his second tour victory. 

0.75pt each-way A.Cook  150/1  (1/5 8) Bet365 8 place market