A brief respite from the Florida leg of the PGA Tour will occur this weekend at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. 2022 began with two tournaments in Hawaii, migrating east to California from mid-January to mid-February, and will return for three consecutive events in Florida following the finish at the Puerto Rico Open. This week, the field has limited star power, but this presents numerous opportunities to find good value amongst lesser-known players.
My recommendations from The Honda Classic last weekend fared exceptionally well, as Sepp Straka took home the first-place trophy and winnings at just an $8,800 salary on FanDuel. Rounds six-under-par and four-under-par on Friday and Sunday led to the Austrian earning his first win in 14 events played this season. Daniel Berger was the favorite entering The Honda Classic, and he appeared on track to secure his first win of the season. However, a four-over-par final round dropped him to a fourth-place finish at seven-under-par. On the second day, Florida native Billy Horschel overcame a brutal four-over-par round to earn a T16 finish. At the same time, Louis Oosthuizen only managed one excellent round at five-under-par to achieve a T30 finish at two-over-par. Mackenzie Hughes fell to T48 with no rounds under par, and Patrick Reed was the only prospect who failed to make the cut. Overall, it was an impressive slate, and I hope it provided the foundation for you to cash lineups.
The Puerto Rico Open lacking star power creates an additional challenge when constructing DFS lineups, but that’s why I’m here! I’ve gathered six of the best value and high-upside prospects to target entering Thursday’s opening round in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
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Previous Winners
- 2021 – Branden Grace (-19)
- 2020 – Viktor Hovland (-20)
- 2019 – Martin Trainer (-15)
- 2017 – D.A. Points (-20)
- 2016 – Tony Finau (-12)
Course Overview
Grand Reserve Golf Club is designed much differently than PGA National, as it’s a stock par 72 with four par 3s and four par 5s, allowing players to scramble effectively in numerous locations throughout the course. It’s nearly 400 yards longer than National, but there aren’t as many water hazards, and the primary rough is trimmed below an inch. Paspalum greens and rough create smoother surfaces for players to rack up birdies or situate themselves nicely during approach shots.
Wind and potential rainstorms could affect players for the first time in weeks. Temperate weather, wind gusts, and rain comprise various challenges at Grand Reserve. Smaller greens, measuring 6,000 square feet and just 11 feet on the Stimpmeter, indicate that precise irons and converting greens in regulation will be crucial to climbing the leaderboard. As seen with previous winning scores, Grand Reserve provides ample opportunity to acquire four or five birdies per round, so getting a player with quality irons or a hot putter will yield the highest production. Traditional cut-line will be enforced after the first two rounds.
Relevant Betting Stats
- Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green
- Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee
- Driving Distance
- Greens in Regulation percentage
- Sand save percentage
Recommended Plays: DraftKings
DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000
Kurt Kitayama ($9,800)
Kurt Kitayama is coming off of his best performance of the season at The Honda Classic, earning a third-place finish with a strong six-under-par start during the first round. The 29-year old American previously had five consecutive missed cuts, but he should be able to transfer the momentum he established in Florida last weekend. He previously earned a T17 finish at the Puerto Rico Open during his first year as a professional in 2017. Kitayama averages 304.7 yards per drive and is 36th in strokes gained approaching the green, so he has assets that will serve him well at Grand Reserve this weekend. He’s a good value at under $10,000 on DraftKings and has 40-1 odds to win, so invest in his recent success and familiarity at the Puerto Rico Open.
Vaughn Taylor ($8,600)
A veteran on the PGA Tour, 45-year old American Vaughn Taylor has strung together three decent finishes since January, earning T42, T28, and T55 finishes in more star-studded fields. Taylor went T39 at Grand Reserve in 2021 and possesses one of the most accurate drivers on Tour, averaging 67 percent accuracy in terms of fairways hit. In addition, his irons are excellent in certain spots, including strokes gained around the green and strokes gained tee-to-green, while he is ranked 29th in sand save percentage. Errant shots are expected from time to time, but Taylor has numerous skills that translate to success at the Puerto Rico Open this weekend, so invest in good value and watch the points stack.
Brice Garnett ($8,100)
The numbers are scary, but 38-year old American Brice Garnett had massive success at Grand Reserve in 2021, earning a T5 (-15) finish with a seven-under-par finish in the final round to solidify a top-five finish. Garnett also earned a T20 finish in 2020 and a T26 finish in his previous appearance in 2016. He’s battle-tested and comfortable at this course, which is why he warrants serious consideration. He’s currently 50-1 odds to win, but his salary is meager due to seven missed cuts and no finish above T50 this season. So take a chance and invest in a player who will be comfortable navigating the wind patterns and narrow greens at the 2022 Puerto Rico Open.
Recommended Plays: FanDuel
FanDuel maximum salary is set at $60,000
Mark Hubbard ($11,700)
The odds-on-favorite this weekend is 32-year old American Mark Hubbard. He’s expensive for a reason, as he ranks much higher in strokes gained categories than the vast majority of the field competing at Grand Reserve this weekend. Hubbard is particularly dangerous with strokes gained around the green, approaching the green, and putting, ranking inside the top 60 in these metrics. In addition, Hubbard is good at scrambling with a robust 57 percent sand save percentage and averages 70.1 score per round, ranking 30th on the PGA Tour. He doesn’t have a strong showing in limited appearances at past Puerto Rico Open events, but Hubbard is the betting favorite for a reason. Perhaps it’s due to finishing 15th at The Honda Classic last weekend, or two previous top 25 finishes this season. Nevertheless, his momentum is enough to justify trusting Hubbard in lineups this weekend.
Satoshi Kodaira ($9,800)
There’s a ton of value to be found in 32-year old Japanese native Satoshi Kodaira. He just missed the cut at The Honda Classic, which has dropped his salary considerably to the point of him becoming a lucrative investment. Kodaira went T12 at The Sony Open in Hawaii a couple of months ago and earned a T33 finish at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in early February. His driver accuracy is ranked 16th at 68 percent, while he has a good command of his irons in terms of strokes gained tee-to-green and strokes gained around the green. Kodaira is listed at 40-1 odds of winning, which places him in the top-15 betting favorites this weekend. He produced a finish of T49 in 2021 but missed the cut in 2020, so his prior experience is less than stellar. Nevertheless, it could be the year when Kodaira reverses his fortune at Grand Reserve, taking the value and trusting his driver and iron to yield a solid finish.
Kevin Chappell ($9,600)
Finding a player who is consistently capable of delivering a high GIR conversion percentage is crucial at the Puerto Rico Open. 35-year old American Kevin Chappell fits this mold, as he is ranked 40th in this metric with a 71 percent conversion rate. In addition, Chappell has a powerful driver that averages 309.2 yards per drive, which will be necessary during some of the longer par 5 holes at Grand Reserve. This particular skill set meshes well with the rigors of the course, but Chappell’s struggles with his irons this season are a big reason he’s available to add at under a $10,000 salary. When looking at previous finishes at Grand Reserve GC, Chappell has not appeared since missing the cut back in 2013. However, he has earned finishes of T55, T55, T46, and T43 this season, meaning a top-25 finish could be in the realm of possibilities with his incremental improvements and facing a lighter field of competition.
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Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.