The next week, two PGA Tour events will be going head-to-head. Historically, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Puerto Rico Open have been played on the same dates. This divides the high-ranked players and gives the lower-ranked pro a chance to win big on the PGA Tour and earn the precious FedExCup points for the standings.

While the 69 players will be teeing it at the Bay Hill Golf Course, 132 pros including some veterans like Jason Dufner and Brandt Snedeker, DP World Tour pros Victor Perez and Jorge Campillo, and more, will be at the Grand Reserve Golf Club. The field will be packed and ready to have the trophy given to them. Who will be the lucky one out of the hundreds?

The top five contenders to win the Puerto Rico Open

The Puerto Rico Open will be starting on Thursday, March 7th, for its 16th edition. The event will end on March 10th with one person lifting the glass Puerto Rico Open Cup. Last year, it was Colombian pro-Nico Echavarria who won the event and has returned to defend his title. In the field is also the 2022 Puerto Rico Open victor, Ryan Brehm. But the one topping this power ranking is the defending champion.

1. Nico Echavarria: The 29-year-old pro won the 2023 Puerto Rico Open after shooting a 4 under 68 in the final round and defeating Akshay Bhatia by two strokes. It was Echavarria’s maiden victory at the Rio Grande’s Grand Reserve Golf Club as a rookie on the PGA Tour. In the 2024 season, the Colombian native is coming off two top-25 finishes: T21 at the Cognizant Classic last week and T24 Mexico Open at Vidanta. Echavarria, though slowly but steadily, is finding his form back, and at the Puerto Rico Open, he may hammer it down as he defends his title.

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2. Rasmus Hojgaard: It will be the second start for the Danish pro after missing the cut at the Cognizant Classic. However, it was the first missed cut for Hojgaard’s 2024 season. A look through his previous events at the DP World Tour displayed an astonishing run by the 21-year-old golfer.

In the last six tournaments he participated in on the European Tour, Hojgaard had a top-12 finish in all of them. Moreover, he was solo second at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship and only a few strokes away from a win. He is probably one of the highest-ranked players (75th) on the Puerto Rico Open field and has a better chance of taking the win as well.

3. Aaron Rai: The Wolverhampton native has made six starts on the PGA Tour’s 2024 season. Over which he has missed the cut twice, once at the American Express and then at the WM Phoenix Open. However, a T33 and T19 finish at the Farmers Insurance Open and the Mexico Open at Vidanta promise that Rai may have it to win at Puerto Rico. The field strength at the Grand Reserve GC is lower and that may give the 2-time DP World Tour winner a chance to become the first-time Tour winner.

4. Robert MacIntyre: The Scottish has to prove himself after acquiring the PGA Tour through the Race to Dubai standings last year. MacIntyre officially started on the PGA Tour at the Sony Hawaii Open, though he finished outside the top 20 at T68. Then he missed three consecutive cuts but later backed it up by positioning himself sixth for the Mexico Open. The 27-year-old had seen a glimmer of hope as he struggled in the American League and has promised to build on the good work to card his first victory on the PGA Tour.

5. Ryo Hisatsune: After a T11 at The American Express, Hisatsune was on a great path to convert another event into a top finish. However, he was T33 at the Farmers Insurance Open and then missed two cuts, the latest being at the Cognizant Classic. However, through a bleak past, the 1x DP World Tour winner may see light at the Puerto Rico Open, as many players that might have stopped his approach will be at the Bay Hill GC.

What’s at stake at the Puerto Rico Open? 

The winner of the PR Open will get a Masters berth like last week’s winner, Austin Eckroat. However, he will gain the field card for the PGA Championship. Moreover, compared to last year, the prize money for the Puerto Rico Open has increased. Echavarria had bagged $684,000 in 2023. However, this year’s winner will get $720,000 from the $4 million total purse, up from $3.8 million last year.

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Moreover, this will be a chance for anyone to improve their FedExCup standings, as the winner will receive 300 points. On the other hand, the Official World Golf Ranking will also allot nearly 60 points for the event, improving the ranks of pros before the Masters in April. So, what is your prediction for the 2024 Puerto Rico Open? Share it in the comments.

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