Puerto Rico Open payouts and points: Nico Echavarria earns $684,000 and 300 FedExCup points

After a series of close calls among non-winners on the PGA TOUR, rookie Nico Echavarria left little doubt that he’d put an end to an uncommon drought this season with a two-stroke victory at the Puerto Rico Open. He joins only Adam Svensson at The RSM Classic among breakthrough champions in 2022-23.

Echavarria’s victory came in just his 11th career PGA TOUR start – all this season – and he had made just two cuts. Both went for a top 25, so he arrived for the first opposite event reasonably slotted 144th in the FedExCup, but the performance in Puerto Rico qualifies as a pleasant surprise.

The 28-year-old from Colombia carded a field-low-tying 65 in the third round to stake a two-shot lead entering a breezy finale at Grand Reserve Golf Club. He closed in 4-under 68 with six birdies covering two bogeys. His 72-hole aggregate of 21-under 267 equals Chesson’s Hadley tournament record in 2014.

Like Svensson at Sea Island, Echavarria opened at +15000 to win at BetMGM. They share the longest odds among all winners this season. Sanderson Farms Championship winner Mackenzie Hughes now sits third-longest at +11000.

Non-member Akshay Bhatia parlayed a sponsor exemption into a career-best runner-up finish at Grand Reserve, and he did it in style with four straight birdies to walk off his own field-low-tying 7-under 65. He’s now eligible for Special Temporary Membership on the PGA TOUR, but despite the absence of status prior to the tournament, the recently turned 21-year-old already had established himself through a variety of successes, including a victory on the Korn Ferry Tour in similarly windy conditions in The Bahamas early in 2022, so he was just +2800 to win when the board was released.

Of course, the construct of the field influences all odds in every tournament, but it wasn’t surprising that Nate Lashley was the favorite at +1400. He shared third with Carson Young (+10000), who led the tournament alone after the first and second rounds.

Echavarria earned 300 FedExCup points and $684,000 with the win.

NOTE: Payouts and Points now will include pre-tournament odds to win at BetMGM for all golfers who made the cut. Odds were sourced on Tuesday, Feb. 28. For live odds, visit BetMGM.

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