Held as an alternate field event alongside the WGC Mexico Championship, 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. The 2018 event was made a fundraiser in the wake of Hurricane Maria, but the PRO returned last year with Martin Trainer emerging as a three-shot winner for his first career Tour victory, and seven of the 11 winners made the PRO their maiden Tour win. Viktor Hovland opened as the betting favorite at online sportsbooks with odds suggesting a wide-open field with some of the lesser known talents on Tour. 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
Viktor Hovland +1000
Alex Noren +1600
Patrick Rodgers +1800
Maverick McNealy +2200
Tom Lewis +2200
Scott Brown +2200
Cameron Davis +2500
Chesson Hadley +2500
Emiliano Grillo +2500
Matthew NeSmith +3000
Jhonattan Vegas +3300
Beau Hossler +3300
Adam Schenk +3500
Henrik Norlander +4000
Ben Martin +5000
Kyoung-Hoon Lee +5000
Martin Laird +5000
Peter Uihlein +5000
Zac Blair +5000
Xinjun Zhang +5500
Kyle Stanley +5500
Kiradech Aphibarnrat +5500
Joseph Bramlett +5500
Grayson Murray +5500
Brice Garnett +6000
David Hearn +6000
D.J. Trahan +6600
Chase Seiffert +6600
Alex Cejka +6600
Andrea Pavan +6600
Fabian Gomez +6600
Shawn Stefani +6600
Tim Wilkinson +6600
Sam Ryder +7000
Tyler McCumber +7000
Cameron Percy +7000
Bo Hoag +8000
Brandon Hagy +8000
Davis Thompson +8000
Hank Lebioda +8000
Sebastian Cappelen +8000
Matt Every +8000
Josh Teater +8500
Seamus Power +9000
Odds Analysis
Viktor Hovland +1000
Taking time off around the Holidays and pegging it up on the Euro circuit’s desert swing recently has hindered Hovland’s development on the PGA side. There’s no denying his has the talent and will most certainly get his game on track, but it better happen soon. And this is a great opportunity for that to happen. Since a T11 at the ET’s BMW PGA Championship last September, Hovland’s best finish is a T23 with three MCs in seven worldwide starts. Recent form isn’t screaming winner, but that’s not a necessity here.
Alex Noren +1600
Noren fell off the radar with a sub-par last season that dropped him in the world rankings. However, it looks like he’s starting to regain the form that produced 10 victories on the European Tour. Competing against much stronger fields on the PGA Tour, the Swede grabbed a T14 at the American Express, T32 at Pebble Beach and was T59 at Riviera last week. A solid ball-striker and consistent putter, Noren has a chance to get back in the winner’s circle against a watered-down field.
Scott Brown +2200
There comes a point in a player’s career when he realizes he is who he is. That’s the case for Brown, who makes his eighth start in the Puerto Rico Open. And that means he’s just not good enough to play in bigger events. It seems as though Brown is good with that since he’s been a beast on the Coco Beach layout going 7 for 7 with a win in 2013 and four other top-10s. Brown beat Jordan Spieth by a stroke in 2013 and hasn’t won since, though her certainly likes player here.
Patrick Rodgers +1800
Unfortunately life interrupted the career of Rodgers. Planning for a wedding and dealing with a wrist injury can put a damper on ones golf game, and that’s what happened last year. With the wedding taking place and the wrist healing, Rodgers appears to be returning to his old form. He has three top-30s in his last four starts with a best of T9 at the Farmers Insurance Open, just his second top-10 in two years.
Matthew NeSmith +3000
After a rough start to his rookie season NeSmith has looked good lately and he enters the week feeling good about his chances. He’s played the weekend in his last six starts most recently grabbing a share of 11th place at Pebble Beach, which is his best finish over that span. He does have two other top-10s competing against stronger fields and this one might be too easy. There are players with better value, but NeSmith looks poised for a big finish.
Course: Coco Beach Golf and Country Club – 7,500 yards, Par 72
Stretched out to 7,500 yards the course 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
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