The great and the good of world golf are descending on Mexico City this week but, as ever when there’s a World Golf Championship event taking place, the PGA Tour is hosting an alternate event. The Puerto Rico Open doesn’t hold full status on the PGA tour but it is still a potentially very important week in the careers of the players heading to Coco Beach Golf Course.
Alex Noren is one of many players competing by the Rio Grande this week who is used to challenging himself in higher class, higher pressure events. His experience of battling it out against the best in the world should stand him in good stead as he looks to snap out of a poor run of form and break his duck on the PGA Tour.
Top Tips
Alex Noren @ 16/1
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Course Info
The players who compete in the Puerto Rico Open generally speak highly of the host venue, Coco Beach Golf Course. It’s a fairly long par 72 layout which can stretch to a maximum yardage of 7,506. The event organisers will only allow it to play to that full yardage when conditions are scorable though. When the wind blows, as it so often does at this coastal venue, the tees are usually brought forwards on the longer holes.
There are plenty of long holes to challenge the players in the field including a couple of par fives which can stretch to over 600 yards. A number of the par threes are fairly long as well but to balance that out there is a collection of short par fours which are even reachable off the tee for the longer hitters.
As ever on this sort of wind-affected course, strategy is important at Coco Beach. Knowing where to take risks and where to throttle back is a key skill. In terms of technical abilities, those with above average driving distance stats and players who are reliable with a wedge or short iron in their hand should be favoured.
| Course | Location | Length | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coco Beach Golf Course | Rio Grande, Puerto Rico | 7,506 Yards | $3,000,000 |
Recent Winners
As you might expect from this type of event, recent renewals of the Puerto Rico Open have been won by a combination of young, up and coming players just starting to make waves and older players trying to recapture former glories on the PGA Tour.
Martin Trainer fits in the former category as does Tony Finau who has gone on to be a serial contender in the biggest events even if this is his sole win to date. There are many players in the field this week looking to emulate DA Points and Alex Cejka who were both into their 40s when they won, giving their careers a new lease of life.
| Year | Winner | Course | To Par | Winning Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Martin Trainer | Coco Beach Golf Course | -15 | 3 Strokes |
| 2017 | D. A. Points | Coco Beach Golf Course | -20 | 2 Strokes |
| 2016 | Tony Finau | Coco Beach Golf Course | -12 | Playoff |
| 2015 | Alex Cejka | Coco Beach Golf Course | -7 | Playoff |
| 2014 | Chesson Hadley | Coco Beach Golf Course | -21 | 2 Strokes |
Analysis: Low Scoring in Prospect
The players heading to Puerto Rico will be greatly cheered by the conditions they find on arrival. The wind is forecast to be at its strongest on Thursday before it dies right down heading into the weekend. Couple that with a wet and receptive course due to recent rain and you have a recipe for some very low scoring at a course which is used to hosting holidaymakers.
Whilst the players will relish the chance to make some birdies it is going to take some relentlessly good scoring to get the win this week. That suggests that the more aggressive players and those who have ample experience of going low when there’s pressure to succeed should be favoured.
Noren Has the Right Stuff
Alex Noren will feel deep down that he should be teeing it up in Mexico this week rather than Puerto Rico. The Swede is an 11-time professional winner including some of the biggest tournaments on the European Tour. He’s also a former Ryder Cup player and has contended in major championships and WGC over the years.
Obviously, Noren’s participation in the Puerto Rico Open is due to a considerable drop in form. He is in danger of slipping out of the world’s top 100 having been as high as world number eight at one stage. The reasons for his loss in form are complicated but the one thing you can be sure about Noren is that he is working hard to put things right. Not only is he putting the hours of practice in but he’s making sure he keeps his competitive juices flowing. If he is able to get himself into contention over the first couple of days, he will relish the chance to battle it out when the pressure is turned on. His mental strength and his class approach play could just set him apart and see him earn a first PGA Tour win.
Long Shots to Have on Board
The average starting price of the last 10 winners of the Puerto Rico Open is almost 100/1. That shows you that this is a tough tournament to predict and that it pays to have a few different each way options in your staking plan.
The attack-minded Kiradech Aphibarnrat is one player who immediately stands out as worth backing each way this week at 60/1 with bet365. The Thai star has won tournaments all over the world and certainly has no problem hacking the pressure to score low so is one to keep onside.
Other players to consider for each way support include Kyle Stanley (60/1 with Ladbrokes) who will set up plenty of scoring opportunities, Lucas Bjerregard (110/1 with Coral) who has struggled in America this season but has some very good form on the European Tour and Smylie Kaufman (500/1 with BetVictor) who is finally showing some positive signs after a significant period of struggle.
Final Verdict: Alex Noren to Win
There are many players worth considering for each way support in the Puerto Rico Open. When it comes to one player to hang your hat on though, it’s tough to look past the world class, hardy and reliable Alex Noren at 16/1 with Betfred.