Puerto Rico Open: tournament preview

Chesson Hadley defends Puerto Rico Open

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 3 March 2015

With many of the PGA Tour’s top names competing this week in the WGC - Cadillac Championship, the Puerto Rico Open gives the circuit’s lesser-lights a chance to shine.

Lowdown: With many of the PGA Tour’s top names competing this week in the WGC - Cadillac Championship, the Puerto Rico Open gives the circuit’s lesser-lights a chance to shine.

This will be the eighth time this event has featured on the PGA Tour and a strong field has assembled. Defending champion Chesson Hadley will tee it up together with nine former Major winners. They are: John Daly, David Duval, Trevor Immelman, David Toms, Mark Calcavecchia, Ben Curtis, Todd Hamilton, Y.E. Yang and Lee Janzen.

In last season’s Puerto Rico Open, Chesson Hadley of the USA took the win in just his 13th start on the PGA Tour. The 26-year-old beat Danny Lee of New Zealand by two shots.

A number of talented players will tee it up on the International course at Trump International in Rio Grande and there’s a good selection of European players in the field. Rafael Cabrera-Bello of Spain is among them, so too Alvaro Quiros and England’s Greg Owen.

Designed by Tom Kite, the course here was originally four separate nines. When the Trump Organisation came on board, it was modified to become two 18-hole tracks. The International Course, over which this event is contested, comprises the old Palms and Mountains courses – the Palm nine being flat and narrow through wetlands, the Mountains featuring a number of changes in elevation.

The weather forecast for the week looks set fair. There shouldn’t be any interruptions to play.

Venue: Trump International GC, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico Date: Mar 5-8 Course stats: par 72, 7,569 yards Purse: $3,000,000 Winner: $540,000 Defending Champion: Chesson Hadley (-21)

Player Watch: Peter Uihlein – The talented American will be looking to re-find the sort of form that saw him finish the 2013 European Tour season in 14th place on the money list. This event could provide a good stepping stone for Uihlein.

Rafa Cabrera-Bello – The Spaniard is another man looking for his best form… this could be the week. It’s his first start on the 2015 PGA Tour.

Derek Fathauer – He’s made the last three cuts on the PGA Tour and has showed potential since winning the Web.com Tour Championship last September.

Key hole: 14th. The most difficult hole on the course and played into the prevailing wind. It’s a par 4 of 460 yards with bunkers left and right from the tee. With the wind in their faces, many of the field will find they need a wood for their second shot here.

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Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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