Puerto Rico Open 2026 Betting Tips: Five to cook in the Caribbean

The second part of this week’s PGA Tour double-header takes place in the Caribbean, where an eclectic field tees it up at Grand Reserve Golf Club in the Puerto Rico Open.

Our golf tipster Jamie Worsley is here again with five more each-way picks this week, so let's get into his Puerto Rico Open 2026 Betting Tips here at Betfred Insights...

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*You can bet on the tournament and check out the latest Puerto Rico Odds over on betfred.com

TOURNAMENT HISTORY 

The Puerto Rico Open was first held in 2008 at Grand Reserve Golf Club, where it has remained to this day. It has always occupied the position of an alternate event, providing players on the outside of the bigger tournaments the chance of a career-changing win.

It's an event that breeds top-class winners. Viktor Hovland and Tony Finau both claimed their first PGA Tour wins here, whilst major champions Jason Day, Jordan Spieth and Bryson DeChambeau have each finished 2^nd.

Last five winners:

• 2025

Winner: Karl Vilips (-26)

Runner-up: Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (-23)

• 2024

Winner: Brice Garnett (-19, playoff)

Runner-up: Erik Barnes (-19)

• 2023

Winner: Nico Echavarria (-21)

Runner-up: Akshay Bhatia (-19)

• 2022

Winner: Ryan Brehm (-20)

Runner-up: Max McGreevy (-14)

• 2021

Winner: Branden Grace (-19)

Runner-up: Jhonattan Vegas (-18)

Karl Vilips shot a record-breaking 26-under-par to win his first PGA Tour title at Grand Reserve GC last year. However, the Aussie has chosen not to defend this week.

THE COURSE

Grand Reserve Golf Club

• Original architect / Year opened: Tom Kite / 2006
• Other tournaments hosted: Latin America Amateur Championship (2023), Puerto Rico Classic/Invitational (annually)
• Par / Yardage: Par 72 / 7506 yards
• Hole breakdown:
  • 4x par 3s (192-236 yards)
  • 10x par 4s (386-465 yards)
  • 4x par 5s (535-630 yards)
• Course style: Flat, open, and exposed resort course. Sharing coastline with the Atlantic, the difficulty can vary greatly due to the unpredictable weather conditions
• Fairways:
  • Average-width paspalum fairways that can be tricky to find, possessing the 11^th-lowest driving accuracy numbers on tour
  • Lack of penal rough and limited bunkering means punishment is minimal, allowing players to use the driver throughout
• Greens:
  • Large (6,500 sq. ft.) and slow paspalum greens
  • Subtly-breaking rather than excessively undulating
  • Rating as the fifth-easiest to scramble around on the PGA Tour, missing them doesn't prove too costly
• Defences:
  • Water is the primary danger, in play on 12 holes including eight of the final nine
  • Prevailing winds from the Atlantic can cause havoc – see Alex Cejka's -7 winning score in 2015
• Average winning score: -17.9 (last 10 editions)

Grand Reserve GC is a sprawling coastal layout that offers spectacular sea views at every turn. Despite its length and the amount of water in play, there is not enough to cause too much concern, and unless those winds whip in from across the Atlantic, we may be in for another low-scoring affair in Puerto Rico.

THE WEATHER

The week begins with rain, and that is forecast to persist over the course of the event. Accompanied by constant 16-17mph winds each day, gusting at upwards of 30mph, the players could be in for some attritional conditions at Grand Reserve GC.

KEY STATS

SG: Off-the-Tee (SG: OTT) / Driving Distance

Due to its length and absence of severe penalty off the tee, this layout sets up perfectly for top-class and big-hitting drivers.

Although we're without strokes-gained numbers for this event, the basic data can still be of use.

• 2025
  • Joseph Bramlett (3^rd): 1^st in driving distance
  • Kieron Van Wyk (4^th): 11^th in driving distance
  • Steven Fisk (4^th): 12^th in driving distance
  • Matt Schmid (6^th): 9^th in driving distance
• 2024
  • Erik Barnes (2^nd): 14^th in driving distance
  • Hayden Springer (3^rd): 3^rd in driving distance
  • Jimmy Stanger (3^rd): 6^th in driving distance
• 2023
  • Nico Echavarria (Winner): 7^th in driving distance
  • Carson Young (3^rd): 8^th in driving distance
  • Wesley Bryan (6^th): 11^th in driving distance
• 2022
  • Ryan Brehm (Winner): 2^nd in driving distance
  • Callum Tarren (5^th): 10^th in driving distance
• 2021
  • Jhonattan Vegas (3^rd): 2^nd in driving distance
  • Rafael Campos (3^rd): 13^th in driving distance

SG: Approach / Greens-in-Regulation (GIR) / Proximity from 175 yards+

Iron play into these receptive greens is another key component and with four lengthy par 3s and those par 5s, approaches from over 175 yards are especially important.

• 2025
  • Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (2^nd): 3^rd in GIR
  • Steven Fisk (4^th): 3^rd in GIR
  • Kieron Van Wyk (4^th): 3^rd in GIR
  • William Mouw (6^th): 8^th in GIR
• 2024
  • Brice Garnett (Winner): 10^th in GIR
  • Victor Perez (3^rd): 2^nd in GIR
  • Hayden Springer (3^rd): 14^th in GIR
  • Joe Highsmith (6^th): 4^th in GIR
  • Adrien Dumont De Chassart (6^th): 5^th in GIR
  • Ben Kohles (6^th): 7^th in GIR
• 2023
  • Nico Echavarria (Winner): 2^nd in GIR
  • Carson Young (3^rd): 12^th in GIR
  • Wesley Bryan (6^th): 11^th in GIR
• 2022
  • Ryan Brehm (Winner): 11^th in GIR
  • Max McGreevy (2^nd): 13^th in GIR
  • Brandon Wu (3^rd): 13^th in GIR
  • Chad Ramey (5^th): 10^th in GIR
• 2021
  • Branden Grace (Winner): 4^th in GIR
  • Jhonattan Vegas (2^nd): 7^th in GIR
  • Rafael Campos (3^rd): 3^rd in GIR

Scrambling

Lastly, competent scramblers always fare well at Grand Reserve GC, and with those high winds resulting in lower GIR percentages, it should be extra vital this week.

• 2025
  • Karl Vilips (Winner): 3^rd in scrambling
  • Joseph Bramlett (3^rd): 9^th in scrambling
• 2024
  • Brice Garnett (Winner): 1^st in scrambling
  • Erik Barnes (2^nd): 2^nd in scrambling
  • Jimmy Stanger (3^rd): 7^th in scrambling
  • Victor Perez (3^rd): 8^th in scrambling
• 2022
  • Ryan Brehm (Winner): 1^st in scrambling
  • Max McGreevy (2^nd): 2^nd in scrambling
• 2021
  • Rafael Campos (3^rd): 7^th in scrambling
  • Brice Garnett (5^th): 1^st in scrambling
  • Andrew Putnam (5^th): 8^th in scrambling

CORRELATING EVENTS (COURSES)

Corales Puntacana Championship (Corales Golf Course)

The open and exposed Corales Golf Course is another long, paspalum-covered course located in the Caribbean. As a fellow alternate event, it's no surprise to find abundant form ties between these two layouts.

Notable correlating form:

• Brice Garnett: Puerto Rico (1^st) / Corales (1^st)
• George McNeill: Puerto Rico (1^st, 5^th) / Corales (7^th)
• Martin Trainer: Puerto Rico (1^st) / Corales (7^th)
• Jhonattan Vegas: Puerto Rico (2^nd) / Corales (4^th)
• Emiliano Grillo: Puerto Rico (2^nd, 3^rd) / Corales (6^th)
• Nate Lashley: Puerto Rico (3^rd, 7^th, 8^th) / Corales (1^st, 4^th)
• Ben Martin: Puerto Rico (3^rd) / Corales (2^nd)
• Rafael Campos: Puerto Rico (3^rd) / Corales (2^nd)
• Sam Ryder: Puerto Rico (3^rd) / Corales (2^nd)
• Chad Ramey: Puerto Rico (5^th) / Corales (1^st)
• Andrew Putnam: Puerto Rico (5^th) / Corales (5^th)
• Wesley Bryan: Puerto Rico (6^th) / Corales (2^nd)
• Matti Schmid: Puerto Rico (6^th) / Corales (9^th)

World Wide Technology Championship (El Cardonal)

The coastal El Cardonal ticks many of those same boxes. It's spacious, with wide fairways, large paspalum greens, and is a par 72 of a similar length to Grand Reserve GC.

Notable correlating form:

• Nico Echavarria: Puerto Rico (1^st) / WWTC (6^th)
• Chesson Hadley: Puerto Rico (1^st) / WWTC (7^th)
• Akshay Bhatia: Puerto Rico (2^nd) / WWTC (10^th)
• Carson Young: Puerto Rico (3^rd) / WWTC (2^nd)
• Nate Lashley: Puerto Rico (3^rd) / WWTC (10^th)
• Sam Ryder: Puerto Rico (3^rd) / WWTC (10^th)
• Chad Ramey: Puerto Rico (5^th) / WWTC (2^nd)
• Andrew Putnam: Puerto Rico (5^th) / WWTC (5^th)
• Joe Highsmith: Puerto Rico (6^th) / WWTC (5^th)
• Wesley Bryan: Puerto Rico (6^th) / WWTC (6^th)
• Matt Schmid: Puerto Rico (6^th) / WWTC (8^th)

Mexico Open (Vidanta Vallarta)

Vidanta Vallarta continues the paspalum theme. It's also a wide-open coastal setup with non-penal fairways, and large greens that throw up a comparable challenge in approach and putting.

Notable correlating form:

• Tony Finau: Puerto Rico (1^st) / Mexico (1^st, 2^nd)
• Akshay Bhatia: Puerto Rico (2^nd) / Mexico (4^th)
• Emiliano Grillo: Puerto Rico (2^nd, 3^rd) / Mexico (5^th)
• Brandon Wu: Puerto Rico (3^rd) / Mexico (2^nd, 3^rd)
• Carson Young: Puerto Rico (3^rd) / Mexico (8^th)
• Joseph Bramlett: Puerto Rico (3^rd) / Mexico (10^th)
• Davis Riley: Puerto Rico (6^th) / Mexico (5^th)

Cognizant Classic (PGA National)

PGA National's exposed, watery layout has produced plenty of crossover form with Grand Reserve GC, where wind regularly plays a part due to its proximity to the Atlantic. I'd especially focus on editions since course conditions were made easier in 2024.

Notable correlating form:

• Nico Echavarria: Puerto Rico (1^st) / Cognizant (1^st)
• Max McGreevy: Puerto Rico (2^nd) / Cognizant (4^th)
• Jhonattan Vegas: Puerto Rico (2^nd) / Cognizant (4^th)
• Ben Martin: Puerto Rico (3^rd) / Cognizant (5^th)
• Sam Ryder: Puerto Rico (3^rd) / Cognizant (8^th, 9^th)
• Matt Jones: Puerto Rico (5^th) / Cognizant (1^st)
• Michael Kim: Puerto Rico (5^th) / Cognizant (6^th)
• Joe Highsmith: Puerto Rico (6^th) / Cognizant (1^st)
• Wesley Bryan: Puerto Rico (6^th) / Cognizant (4^th)
• William Mouw: Puerto Rico (6^th) / Cognizant (6^th)
• Matti Schmid: Puerto Rico (6^th) / Cognizant (9^th)

Bermuda Championship (Port Royal Golf Course)

Although considerably shorter than this week's host course, Port Royal GC is worth checking out. It has similar driving accuracy and GIR percentages to Grand Reserve GC, whilst, as another oceanside venue, wind often alters the complexion of the contest.

Notable correlating form:

• Danny Lee: Puerto Rico (2^nd) / Bermuda (2^nd)
• Max McGreevy: Puerto Rico (2^nd) / Bermuda (3^rd)
• Aaron Baddeley: Puerto Rico (2^nd) / Bermuda (6^th)
• Rafael Campos: Puerto Rico (3^rd) / Bermuda (1^st)
• Sam Ryder: Puerto Rico (3^rd) / Bermuda (5^th)
• Matt Jones: Puerto Rico (5^th) / Bermuda (4^th)
• Matti Schmid: Puerto Rico (6^th) / Bermuda (3^rd)
• Adrien Dumont De Chassart: Puerto Rico (6^th) / Bermuda (3^rd)
• Davis Riley: Puerto Rico (6^th) / Bermuda (7^th)
• Kevin Roy: Puerto Rico (6^th) / Bermuda (8^th)
• Harry Higgs: Puerto Rico (7^th) / Bermuda (2^nd)
• Kevin Yu: Puerto Rico (7^th) / Bermuda (3^rd)

Korn Ferry Tour & DP World Tour

The type of field that this event typically attracts means that we should also look at events on the Korn Ferry Tour (KFT) and DP World Tour (DPWT) for clues.

Two early-season tournaments in The Bahamas on the KFT – The Great Abaco Classic and The Great Exuma Classic – stand out. Both of these seaside events have been played on paspalum down the years.

Meanwhile, when searching for generally open courses that have large paspalum greens on the DPWT, we need look no further than the Middle East. The Abu Dhabi Championship at Yas Links, Qatar Masters at Doha Golf Club, Bahrain Championship at Royal Golf Club, and Ras Al Khaimah Championship at Al Hamra Golf Club all meet this criteria.

THE FIELD

There are eight players from the world's top 100 in attendance in Puerto Rico, headed by No. 45 Michael Brennan, No. 48 Rasmus Hojgaard, and No. 58 Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen.

Karl Vilips doesn't defend but we do have three former champions in the field: Brice Garnett (2024), Ryan Brehm (2022), and Chesson Hadley (2014).

A whole host of talented amateurs have received invites, including world No. 5, Czechia's Filip Jakubcik, and 17-year-old American phenom Miles Russell – the current 11^th-ranked player. In addition, South Africa's Kieron Van Wyk returns after finishing an impressive 4^th in this event 12 months ago.

SELECTIONS 

Market leaders (1/4 5 places): Rasmus Hojgaard 10/1, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen 14/1, Davis Thompson 18/1, Ricky Castillo 20/1, Michael Brennan 20/1

1.5 pts Chad Ramey each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 33/1

Chad Ramey has yet to miss a cut in 2026 and arrives in Puerto Rico after his best finish of the season at PGA National. He's gone well here on both previous starts, and with some of the strongest comp form on offer, he makes for a compelling case.

Ramey gradually improved over his first three appearances this year, following a 71^st-place finish at the Sony Open with a 63^rd at The AmEx, before hitting the top 25 at the Farmers Insurance Open, finishing 22^nd. He was rock-solid at the Phoenix Open when 48^th two starts ago and he upgraded his performance again last week, shooting four under-par rounds to finish 17^th.

That result was engineered by a field-leading approach display, which was his strongest in this area since 2023. The putter is his biggest weapon, ranking 19^th so far in 2026, but he's a player who hits a tonne of greens, scrambles well, and appears to have added some length at the beginning of this season, giving him an appealing profile.

After finishing 5^th on his Grand Reserve GC debut in 2022, Ramey was again in the mix last year, sitting 5^th entering Sunday before a final-round 73 saw him slip to 26^th. That course form alone is encouraging, but when added to a 2022 victory at the Corales Puntacana Championship and runner-up finish at the 2025 World Wide Technology Championship, it paints the picture of a player at ease in these surrounds.

1.25 pts S.H. Kim each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 45/1

Korea’s S.H. Kim is a powerful short-game specialist who has excelled by the coast. He’s now playing much better than he was when missing the cut here on debut two years ago, and if he can get the driver back under control, he’s sure to be a leading contender at Grand Reserve GC.

Kim dropped off the PGA Tour in 2025 but booked his return after a stellar season on the KFT: winning once, finishing 2^nd twice, and recording eight top-25s overall.

Those positive vibes were carried into the season-opener in Hawaii, where he shared the lead after 36 holes of the Sony Open before eventually finishing 13^th. He followed that with an 18^th-place finish at The AmEx, and he was solid enough at the Farmers Insurance and Phoenix Opens. Though he will have to bounce back from a disappointing missed cut at PGA National.

The driver let him down there, but that is an area in which he’s been competent throughout his time in the U.S. He’s become much straighter in recent years and while he’s sacrificed a little length to do so, he is by no means short.

Kim’s also a fine bunker player (ranking 1^st on the KFT in 2025) who scrambles well, which should come in handy here. With finishes of 2^nd and 3^rd in The Bahamas proving how adept he is at performing on windswept Caribbean layouts, I fancy him to improve massively on his missed cut in 2024.

1.25 pts Carson Young each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 45/1

With eye-catching form at Grand Reserve GC stretching back to his amateur days, Carson Young is my next selection. He’s developed a striking record on paspalum in general, and with most of his game looking sound at the Cognizant Classic last week, he’s primed to strike in Puerto Rico.

Young lost full playing privileges last season, resulting in him mixing the early weeks of 2026 between the PGA Tour and KFT. He played well enough at The AmEx, finishing 44^th, and looked set to go better than that at PGA National, entering the weekend in 18^th place before a disappointing third round put paid to his chances.

Slotting in between those was a 3^rd at the Astara Golf Championship in Colombia on the KFT. Having recorded his solo win at that level in Panama, he’s clearly comfortable playing in and around the climate of the Caribbean.

That is emphasised by finishes of 3^rd and 10^th here on his last two visits. Meanwhile, he has mounds of additional form on paspalum, finishing 2^nd, 6^th, and 9^th at El Cardonal in the World Wide Technology Championship, and he also has an 8^th-place finish at the Mexico Open.

Despite his lack of power, Young’s pin-point accuracy has proven a real asset off the tee. He’s also a decent iron player, looking at his best in approaches between 175-225 yards last year, and with his short game appearing to be in decent shape in Florida, there’s every reason to expect another bold showing.

1 pt A.J. Ewart each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 60/1

Last year’s Q-School winner A.J. Ewart has made an encouraging start to his rookie season, ranking as the sixth-best golfer in this entire field in 2026. Despite this, he’s rated outside the top 30 players according to the betting.

This is somewhat understandable as he’s still an unfamiliar player to many. That said, having shown quality right through the bag, and possessing a Florida college background that is an advantage in this environment, he’s well worth a bet at the price.

Ewart turned pro in 2023 after a decent amateur career where he made winning looking easy in middle-tier events in Florida, winning nine times across 2022/2023 alone.

The Canadian wasted no time transferring this to the pro game, winning on the PGA Tour Americas in his home country in 2024. He then ended another solid season in 2025 by topping the leaderboard at Q-School to earn his first stab at the PGA Tour.

Although he missed the cut at the Sony Open to begin the year, he’s progressed nicely since, immediately following with finishes of 44^th at The AmEx, 49^th at the Farmers Insurance, and 28^th at the Phoenix Open.

A 13^th-place finish at the Cognizant Classic was another step in the right direction for Ewart, where he maintained the improvement he found in approach in Phoenix. He’s looked strong with the long irons, ranking 25^th from 175-200 yards so far, and as a player with reasonable power who has a tidy short game, this test may just be an ideal fit.

0.75 pts Fred Biondi each-way (1/5 - 10 places) @ 250/1

I’m going to take a chance on Fred Biondi at a huge price to finish. The former top-10 amateur’s pro career hasn’t quite taken off as he’d have hoped since making the jump in 2023, but there have been signs of encouragement on the DPWT this season. With form at Grand Reserve GC going back to his amateur days, he could just spark into life this week.

Biondi moved to Florida as a 15-year-old, where he attended college and eventually rose to become the ninth-best amateur in the world. His win at the 2023 NCAA D1 Championship was the standout of many impressive displays, where he left several of this week’s opponents – Luke Clanton, David Ford, and Adrien Dumont De Chassart to name three – in his wake.

His pro results leave a lot to be desired, but it is telling how his best efforts have come by the coast. This includes finishing 13^th at the Bermuda Championship and 23^rd at the RSM Classic on the PGA Tour at the end of 2023, whilst he also finished 7^th in The Bahamas on the KFT in 2024.

The Brazilian earned a DPWT card via Q-School at the end of 2025 and whilst missing three of five cuts in the new season, there have been positives. He again showcased his aptitude to perform in an oceanside setting in Mauritius (another venue that uses paspalum), improving his position with each round to finish 32^nd. Furthermore, he was steady at the low-scoring Kenya Open on his latest outing, firing four rounds in the 60s to finish 48^th.

Biondi finished 7^th at Grand Reserve GC in the 2023 Latin America Amateur Championship and again looked comfortable on this setup on his Puerto Rico Open debut in 2024, finishing 32^nd.

The limited evidence points towards a player with a handy short game, and with that Florida background combined with notably high-level performances on the coast, he clearly has the talent to outplay his odds this week.

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