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Experienced Herman to shine in poor field
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Amazing qualifier Gerard goes again
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Plenty of space for the big hitters to thrive
Those failing to qualify for the lucrative invitational event at Bay Hill have the opportunity to earn US dollars this weekend at Coco Beach Golf Club, home of the Puerto Rico Open.
First staged as a PGA Tour event in 2008, this will be the 15th edition of the tournament which wasn't held five years ago because of damage inflicted to the course by Hurricane Maria six months earlier.
All previous instalments have taken place at the Tom Kite-designed Coco Beach - now known as Grand Reserve Country Club - which sits on the north-east coastline of this stunning Caribbean island.
Located approximately 15 miles from the Puerto Rican capital of San Juan, Grand Reserve/Coco Beach has undergone a number of name changes down the years.
Opened 19 years ago, it has generally been known as Coco Beach, although it was once called Trump International until the venue was forced to file for bankruptcy.
Latest betting for this week's Puerto Rico Open
Course Characteristics
Heavily influenced by coastal breezes, which sweep in from the Atlantic Ocean, Grand Reserve is a low-lying layout where water comes into play on 14 holes.
Fairways are reasonably generous, with areas of dense vegetation dotted around the venue.
This long layout certainly encourages players to launch into their tee shots.
All previous tournaments have been staged in either February or March, and held the same week as another more prestigious PGA Tour event.
Total prize money in Puerto Rico will be $3.8m, compared to the $20m on offer this week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
Latest betting for the forthcoming Players Championship
Stroke Averages
Lowest 10 At Coco Beach (2016-22)
Average .... (Rounds)
69.38: Brice Garnett (16)
69.43: Josh Teater (14)
69.45: Cameron Percy (20)
69.80: Rafael Campos (20)
70.00: Fabian Gomez (20)
70.00: Kyle Stanley (10)
70.08: Bill Haas (12)
70.25: Scott Brown (24)
70.38: JJ Henry (16)
70.42: Boo Weekley (12)
Min. No. of Rounds = 10
Only those entered this week are included in table
Latest betting for this year's Masters Tournament
Four To Watch
Ryan Gerard: The Monday qualifier who finished fourth at last week's Honda Classic. This remarkable performance followed his tie-for-third on the Korn Ferry Tour two weeks' earlier. Can the 23-year-old maintain his good form in this week's seriously mediocre field?
Jim Herman: Tied-seventh in this event last year and a three-time winner on the PGA Tour. The 45-year-old closed with rounds of 67-66 at the Honda Classic where he tied-14th.
Cameron Percy: The Aussie finished 12th on Sunday at PGA National and journeys to Coco Beach where his last two outings have both yielded top-10 finishes.
Erik van Rooyen: The highest-ranked pro taking part this week. The world No 120 has a best finish of tied-sixth on the PGA Tour this year. He won the Barracuda Championship (modified Stableford event) in 2021.
MC* - Missed Additional 54-Hole Cut
Note: List Contains Leading Reserves
No Tournament At Coco Beach In 2018