Tag: 2023 Puerto Rico Open

Nico Echavarria wins maiden PGA Tour title at 2023 Puerto Rico Open, earns spot in Players Championship

Echavarria is the 10th player to make the Puerto Rico Open his first career PGA Tour title.

Nico Echavarria is a winner on the PGA Tour.

Riding a final-round 68 at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Echavarria finished at 21 under and outlasted Akshay Bhatia by two shots in the 2023 Puerto Rico Open, the first opposite-field event on the PGA Tour’s 2023 calendar.

Echavarria scored in the 60s (67-67-65-68) all four rounds. He had 22 birdies, two eagles and six bogeys over the 72 holes.

A rookie on the PGA Tour, Echavarria said he found something in his swing on the range on Friday and it clearly carried over to the weekend, as he becomes the 10th player to make the Puerto Rico Open his first career PGA Tour title.

“With the way I was playing the last couple weeks, at Honda, that course is really hard but I missed the cut by 8 or 9. At Pebble I missed it by a lot,” he said. “You just don’t think it’s going to get better until things like this week clicks and finding something on the range on Friday just changes your week. … if I wouldn’t have had that practice session on Friday afternoon very late and found what I found, I don’t think I would be here because it cleared my mind up. I was thinking too many things. I was on a bad spot mentally before coming to this week.”

Bhatia, meanwhile, started the day in fifth and ended up in solo second. It’s his best finish on Tour; he had a tie for ninth at the 2020 Safeway Open. He also has two top-10s in four starts on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023.

Bhatia had eight birdies in his final round, including four straight on Nos. 15, 16, 17 and 18 to close his week. He came up short but was energized and emotional after his performance this week.

“I’m legally able to drink now, so maybe I’ll have a drink with my parents,” Bhatia said. “I’m excited to see my dogs, I haven’t seen them in two weeks. Yeah, I don’t know. It’s going to be a lot of emotion. I know my dad’s going to really cry, which I’ve only seen him do one time.”

For winning the Puerto Rico Open, Echavarria earned 300 FedEx Cup points and $684,000. He joins Kurt Kitayama, who won the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday, as first time Tour winners. He also earned a spot in the Players Championship, which starts Thursday at TPC Sawgrass.

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“It’s going to be incredible to be at home because I live in Jacksonville,” he said. “Especially after a win, it’s going to be special. Probably going to keep playing and feeling what I’m feeling right now with my game, same thoughts, because this game changes quick and you’ve got to be consistent with what you’re trying to do.”

Nate Lashley and Carson Young tied for third at 16 under, five shots back. Michael Kim was solo fifth at 15 under.

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This PGA Tour rookie, who has made three cuts in 11 starts, leads the 2023 Puerto Rico Open heading to the final round

Nico Echavarria has made only two cuts in 10 starts heading into the Puerto Rico Open.

PGA Tour rookie Nico Echavarria has played 11 events this season. He has made the cut three times, including this week.

Come Sunday, he could hoist a trophy.

Echavarria used a 6-under 30 front nine at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, to take a two-shot lead heading into the final round of the Puerto Rico Open, the alternate-field event to the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Echavarria shot 7-under 65 on moving day to hop Carson Young, the 18- and 36-hole leader, and sits at 17 under with one round to go.

“Yeah, it was a dream start,” Echavarria said. “I found something on the range yesterday, and even if I felt nervous out there today on some holes, I just kept putting my game plan and my feeling of what I found on the range and it worked really good. Happy with how I played, happy with the shots I hit when I was under pressure. Hopefully we can do it tomorrow.”

Young, a fellow Tour rookie, posted a 1-under 71 on moving day for his worst round of the week by four shots. But he’ll be in the final pairing also looking for his first PGA Tour victory.

Sam Stevens matched Echavarria’s 7-under performance and sits in a two-way tie for third at 13 under. Nate Lashley, who shot 5 under on Saturday, is also at 13 under. Akshay Bhatia and Harry Hall are tied for fifth at 12 under.

Echavarria’s round got off to a quick start, as he eagled the par-5 second. Birdies followed on Nos. 4-7, and he added two more birdies and a bogey on the back nine.

The winner of the Puerto Rico Open will capture 300 FedEx Cup points and $684,000.

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Ryan Gerard, who finished fourth last week after Monday qualifying, sits T-4 after 36 holes at 2023 Puerto Rico Open

Ryan Gerard is in the midst of a two-week stretch of golf that could change his life.

Ryan Gerard is in the midst of a two-week stretch of golf that could change his life.

Last week, the 23-year-old Monday qualified into the Honda Classic. He took home $411,600 after placing solo fourth. His finish also got him into this week’s alternate-field event, the Puerto Rico Open, where he sits T-4 at 8-under 136 heading into the weekend.

If Gerard finishes in a three-way tie for ninth or better, he’ll earn special temporary membership on the PGA Tour for the remainder of the season. That makes the next 36 holes at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, pressure-packed.

“I think when you really care about something, you sometimes make it harder on yourself than it needs to be,” Gerard said. “Sometimes I just have to take a step back and kind of try and see a bigger picture, try and really enjoy the little things about it.

“I mean, I’m playing in a PGA Tour event this week, I’m staying in a hotel on the beach, like there are a few things that are just really, really cool and the golf is just a bonus. It doesn’t define me. I want to be a great player, but the golf doesn’t define me as a person.

“I think since I’ve started to kind of realize that, it’s gotten a lot easier for me to just free up on the course. I still definitely want it really badly, so I’m putting in the effort and I’m really grinding out there. I think the combination of all those things have just put me in a good spot. When you’re hitting it well, good things happen.”

And if the North Carolina grad continues to hit it well this weekend, those good things will come.

Gerard and the pack are chasing Carson Young, who sits at 14 under after rounds of 63-67.

If Gerard wins, he would earn his way into the Players Championship next week. A top 10 would get him into the Valspar Championship in two weeks.

Nevertheless, he’s in the midst of a strong run that could spring him into more success.

“I feel like the last week and a half has been just a rollercoaster,” Gerard said. “I mean, just not really knowing what I’m getting into, playing well, quick turnaround, flying, it’s been really cool. I know I’m just lucky to be here and I know I’m playing well. I think I just take those two things in stride and just go have fun with it this weekend. I mean, if I keep playing well, I’ll be just fine.”

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