Power Rankings: Puerto Rico Open

Thus begins the series within the series within the series.

The Puerto Rico Open is the first of three straight Additional Events contested concurrently with a Signature Event. While 69 golfers are slated to compete in the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, another 132 are ready to give it a go at Grand Reserve Golf Club east of San Juan.

A breakdown of the course, what’s at stake and more can be found below.

OTHERS TO CONSIDER

• Brandon Wu … If there was a Power Rankings Wild Card for the Puerto Rico Open, he’d be in the hot seat. Honestly, this is more of a slight than an endorsement as he’s endured seriously long stretches without contending, only then to emerge having figured it out. It’s a tried-and-true way to navigate a PGA TOUR career, but it makes it difficult to align a profile. Well, with a T7 (2021), a T3 (2022) and a scoring average of 68.63 in two appearances at Grand Reserve, he should be a thoroughbred for the track. Perhaps a T13 on Paspalum in Mexico two weeks ago was a teaser.
• Martin Trainer … The 2019 champ is among the litany of breakthrough winners at Grand Reserve, but it’s how he’s been capitalizing on opportunities despite Past Champion status on the PGA TOUR this season that warrants elevated expectations. On either side of a T19 at the Mexico Open at Vidanta – which was a start he secured originally as a four-spotter at the Sony Open in Hawaii where he made the cut, and then bubbled up in the reorder for Mexico – he hung up top 10s on the Korn Ferry Tour, including a T5 on Sunday in Argentina. It’s a small but growing sample size for a 32-year-old entering his prime and performing like it.
• Vince Whaley … You gotta admire the confidence. He has 13 starts remaining on a Major Medical Extension, and while he had entered the season already having cleared the threshold for conditional status, he opted out of last week’s Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches that awards the full allocation of FedExCup points. Yet, he’s remained committed to the Puerto Rico Open despite its smaller distribution in the aggregate. But why not! It’s been three years since his last visit but he’s 2-for-2 at Grand Reserve with a T9 (2020) and a T15 (2021). And it might be exactly the kind of vibe that he needs to reverse a very slow start to 2024 after an impressive surge to wrap last season.

Grand Reserve has been the only host of all 16 editions of the Puerto Rico Open. It’s a stock par 72 that seems like it’d feed only into the longest hitters given its from-the-tips distance of 7,506 yards. However, like all terrific tests, it doesn’t discriminate all the while rewarding play worthy of a 72-hole score in relation to par in the vicinity of 20-under.

The host track is the second of four on the PGA TOUR featuring Paspalum grass. Just like two weeks ago at the Mexico Open at Vidanta, this week’s greens will be rolling to about 11 feet on the Stimpmeter. It’s slower on average primarily because the course can’t hide from the unrelenting breezes. On cue, moderate pushes from the prevailing east are forecast, but they will be a constant throughout the tournament. A sprinkle always is possible but it won’t do much to douse sun-infused heat in the mid-to-upper 80s.

The highest rough is 2 inches and greens are average in size, so would-be contenders are encouraged to move it off tees and stay aggressive on approach. With predictable and consistent conditions, guys feelin’ it can get into a groove and rely on what’s working. Scoring averages in these elements should range from 0.50-1.50 strokes under par per round.

In addition to the standard two-year membership exemption through 2026, the winner will be eligible for THE PLAYERS Championship next week. As of Monday, 21 golfers in Puerto Rico are exempt into the PGA TOUR’s flagship stop.

The Puerto Rico champion also will pick up exemptions into the PGA Championship and the 2025 edition of The Sentry. However, because it’s an additional event awarding 300 FedExCup points to him – instead of the standard 500 – he will not receive exemptions into all remaining Signature Events and the Masters via this victory.

NOTE: ShotLink is not utilized for this tournament.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

MONDAY: Points and Payouts (Cognizant), Medical Extensions, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Power Rankings (Arnold Palmer)
TUESDAY*: Power Rankings (Puerto Rico), Sleepers (Arnold Palmer)
WEDNESDAY: Golfbet Insider
SUNDAY: Points and Payouts, Medical Extensions, Qualifiers, Reshuffle

*Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.

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