Niall Lyons sides with five in the 2026 Puerto Rico Open at Grand Reserve GC.
This event in Puerto Rico 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. 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.
In recent years this can be seen as an opportunity for some up and coming talented sorts and possibly some older timers looking to regain their place on the big stage. Grace did that in 2021 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 has gone on to bigger and better things and Karl Vilips announced his arrival with a victory last year.
Nothing in particular stands out other than short game looking highly important. 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 5 in three of the last five editions.
Vilips was 3rd in that stat last year when winning. Garnett led that statistic when winning the year before whilst 3 of the top ten in putting average finished in a tie for 2nd and 3rd. Four of the top five in 2023 all ranked inside the top 10 in putting average for the week and of the 27 who have made the top 5 over the last five years only five of those ranked outside the top 25 in putting for the week.
Puerto Rico Open Tips
1.5pts each-way M.Brennan 28/1 (1/5 8) Bet365 8 place market
1.25pts each-way A.Eckroat 50/1 (1/5 6) General
1.25pts each-way C.Lamprecht 110/1 (1/5 6) Starsports
1.25pts each-way A.Dumont De Chassart 40/1 (1/5 6) General
1pt each-way I.Salinda 90/1 (1/5 8) Bet365 8 place market
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Michael Brennan at 28/1 (Eight Places)
Michael Brennan is an interesting one here and with his distance off the tee being a huge asset he should be able to score well around here.
His long game is standing out like a sore thumb right now but still fails to put it together on or around the greens. He was only 38th on approach last week but 1st off the tee is no mean feat around PGA National given the trouble that is in play on plenty of those tee boxes.
62nd on the greens put pay to his chances once again and that is becoming a theme. He has recorded really solid displays off the tee and on approach for a month or so now but is being held back by the short game.
Grand Reserve should give him more of a chance to open his shoulders and gain plenty on the field with his driver. The test comes thereafter and we don't have any evidence he will become a decent wind player which could be in play here.
However, he goes off a similar price to what he went off in stronger company at the Sony at the start of the year and his long game suggests he is in much better nick than what his results show.
1.5pts each-way M.Brennan 28/1 (1/5 8) Bet365 8 place market
Austin Eckroat at 50/1 (Six Places)
Austin Eckroat often enters the conversation when dealing with windier layouts and following a solid but unspectacular effort at PGA National he makes the staking plan.
40th last week doesn't tell us the full story as he posted very respectable numbers with the long game. 24th off the tee and 25th on approach was undone by a poor short game truth be told. That has been the story of the last few weeks also having played pretty well off the tee and on approach both at Torrey and Scottsdale only to be let down by his performance on and around the greens.
Looking at historical stats here that will need to improve if he is to win but he certainly arrives with a firing long game. A victory at El Cardonal as well as a top 5 at Corales suggests he is a more than capable candidate on this grass and he rates one of the more sensible plays of the week.
Christo Lamprecht at 125/1 (Five Places)
Alejandro Tosti fares well on these types of golf courses with two top 10s at Vidanta Vallarta as well as a runner up at Corales but it's difficult to get over his dead last finish last week at the Cognizant.
One I'm really keen on at triple figures is Christo Lamprecht. This giant of a figure from South Africa has gained a PGA Tour card following a hugely successful season on the Korn Ferry Tour that seen him win the Pinnacle Bank Championship last August.
It has been a baptism of fire somewhat thus far with three missed cuts kicking off his 2026 campaign before a 48th placed finish at Scottsdale. A missed cut last week is not of huge concern given bombers of the ball find it extremely tough around PGA National and he is prone to spraying the ball.
However, there is plenty going for him here not least his best finish on the DPWT coming by the coast on a Paspalum layout in Mauritius. Add in the fact he is a former Amateur Champion at Hillside back in 2023 then went on to lead after round 1 at Hoylake in the Open Championship a few weeks later and we have enough evidence to suggest this may be the perfect opportunity for him.
This event has often been dominated by bombers and his price looks really tasty in the weakest event he will have played in on this tour to date.
1.25pts each-way C.Lamprecht 125/1 (1/4 5) SkyBet / Paddy Power
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Adrien Dumont De Chassart at 40/1 (Six Places)
I'll also include Adrien Dumont De Chassart this week given his really decent effort last week at PGA National. He missed the cut on the number at Scottsdale having ranked 2nd off the tee in round 1 and 17th on approach in round 2.
So there were little signs there that he was getting it together and 23rd last week at a tough layout for the Belgian is extremely pleasing.
He ranked 23rd from tee to green there that is a really positive sign heading to Puerto Rico.
6th here in 2024 and 3rd in Bermuda the same year suggests this may be where his strength lies and he may have fit form at the perfect time.
Isaiah Salinda at 125/1 (Five Places)
Jesper Svensson is a lively one given he has won on Paspalum at Laguna in Singapore. He has the length off the tee to make it pay here but can't help but feel the bookmakers have too tight a hold on his price. Haotong Li is performing really well also. He has a win in Qatar as well as a couple of top 5s in Open Championships so has plenty of credentials for this type of test. Landing a PGA Tour win isn't easy though and I find it difficult to get involved at the advertised odds.
There are plenty who look very worthy of serious consideration sub 33/1 but it's difficult to take the plunge with the prices so I prefer a stab at some juicy prices and I'll include Isaiah Salinda.
It hasn't quite happened for this promising sort on the PGA Tour just yet but these events provide a fair opportunity. He has a 3rd placed finish posted at Vidanta Vallarta and it's worth noting his sole Korn Ferry Tour win came in the nearby Panama Championship.
Last week's missed cut is of little concern given the task around PGA National but prior to that he posted a top 30 at Torrey Pines in a field much stronger than what assembles here.
Long and straight off the tee and generally putting well recently he looks one worth playing at bigger odds.
