Tag: Grand Reserve Country Club

Chase Seiffert, Michael Kim each shoot a first-round 65, co-lead Puerto Rico Open

All eyes are on the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but there’s another PGA Tour event going on this week.

All eyes are on the Arnold Palmer Invitational but there’s another PGA Tour tournament going on this week.

The Puerto Rico Open is the first opposite-field event of 2022 and Chase Seiffert posted an opening-round 65 to stake claim to the solo lead at the Grand Reserve Golf Club. He’s now posted under-par scores in all nine rounds he’s played in this event.

Last week, Seiffert was in a 16-for-1 playoff in the Monday qualifier for the Honda Classic. He didn’t win that playoff, which actually ended on Tuesday, but then managed to snag a spot in the field as the second alternate after Cameron Tringale and Tyler Duncan each withdrew. He made the most of his week there, as he was tied for sixth heading into the weekend and eventually finished T-25.

Seiffert on Thursday was 4 under through five holes and carded his fifth birdie on the front on the 9th hole. His only bogey came on the sixth hole. One of his birdies was a chip-in on the 13th.

Later in the day, Michael Kim closed with three birdies on his last four holes to also post a 65 and claim co-leader status. Kim’s round was bogey-free. His last Tour win came in the 2018 John Deere Classic.

Seiffert and Kim have one-shot lead over Ryan Brehm and a two-shot lead over Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Aaron Baddeley. Brehm also posted a bogey-free round Thursday. He has two Korn Ferry Tour wins but is seeking his first PGA Tour victory.

Aphibarnrat has 12 professional victories but is seeking his first PGA Tour win. He’s missed four cuts in six tournaments so far this season. His career-best finish on Tour is a tie for third, which he’s accomplished twice.

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Baddeley has four Tour wins, the last coming in 2016 at the Barbasol Championship. This is just his third start on Tour this season. He’s earned more than $22 million in his career but banked just $160,000 last season.

First place in Puerto Rico is good for $666,000. The par-72 course is playing at 7,506 yards this week. Designed by Tom Kite, the back nine at Grand Reserve has two par-5s that are longer than 600 yards.

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Take a look at the iconic venues hosting USGA events in 2022

Here are all the events and corresponding venues the USGA will put on in 2022.

In 2022, the USGA is holding championships at some of the most historic venues in the world, highlighted by the U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. The U.S. Mid-Amateur is headed to the Midwest, where Erin Hills will pose an enormous challenge for the men who qualify.

On the women’s side, the USGA will welcome players to Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina, for the U.S. Women’s Open. And for the U.S. Women’s Amateur, qualifiers will head to Chambers Bay, University Place, Washington, home of Jordan Spieth’s 2015 U.S. Open victory.

Listed below are all the events the USGA will put on in 2022, accompanied by the corresponding venue.

Viktor Hovland wins his first PGA Tour title at Puerto Rico Open

After an illustrious amateur career, Viktor Hovland hasn’t wasted any time living up to the hype.

After an illustrious amateur career, Viktor Hovland hasn’t wasted any time living up to the hype. In just his 17th PGA Tour start, Hovland notched his first victory, drilling a 30-foot birdie at the 72nd hole to edge Josh Teater by one stroke and win the Puerto Rico Open. Was it excitement or relief to win after a wild day, he was asked?

“It’s excitement, for sure,” said Hovland, the 2018 U.S. Amateur champion, who finished at 20-under 268 at Grand Reserve Country Club. “It’s incredible. It’s a special feeling.”

PUERTO RICO OPEN: Leaderboard

For much of the final round, Hovland didn’t have his best stuff, which produced a sizzling 8-under 64 on Saturday and his first 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour. He skated along with all pars on the front nine except for a birdie at the fifth.

Teater, the 40-year-old journeyman, was seeking his first victory, too, and he caught Hovland for a moment with three birdies in his first six holes, but gave two strokes back with bogeys at Nos. 10 and 11. When Hovland’s second shot at No. 10 sailed long, he chipped in for a birdie and a three-stroke lead. It looked like the Norwegian, who was part of a national championship-winning team at Oklahoma State, the low amateur at the 2019 Masters and U.S. Open and a former No. 1-ranked amateur, would be able to cruise to his maiden victory.

Not so fast.

At the par-3 11th, Hovland missed badly to the right with his tee shot. He duffed his pitch from a tight lie and compounded his error by decelerating on the next and missed a 5-footer. It added up to a triple bogey and his lead had evaporated.

“I just suck at chipping,” Hovland told Golf Channel after the round through laughter. “I was 100% exposed there.”

Hovland slipped into a three-way tie with Teater and Kyle Stanley, who birdied five of the first six holes to get into the mix. But Stanley made bogeys coming home at the two par 5s – Nos. 15 and 18 – and closed in 68 to share third with Emiliano Grillo and Sam Ryder.

Viktor Hovland and his caddie Shay Knight at the 2020 Puerto Rico Open. Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Teater was the only player to take advantage of Hovland’s generosity. He reached the 15th in two and made birdie to take a one-stroke at 18 under. But it didn’t last long. Hovland, playing one group behind, came up short to the right with his second at 15.

Just as a rainstorm arrived, Hovland’s short game didn’t let him down this time. He pitched in for eagle, pumping his fist and flashing a wide smile. He regained the lead at 19 under. Teater responded by rolling in a 12-foot birdie putt at 17, but his 15-foot birdie putt at 18 came up inches short. He tapped in for a 3-under 69, and his fourth straight round in the 60s.

“I knew it was going to be slower because of the rain but, I had it right on lie,” Teater said. “It was a great week for me.”

It turned out Teater’s great week wasn’t good enough. He heard through a walkie-talkie that Hovland had sunk his birdie putt for a closing 2-under 70 before Teater could see it on the screen where he was watching.

“Hats off to Viktor. That was a great putt,” Teater said. “He’s a great player and we’re going to see him do that a lot more often.”

Hovland joins an elite group of players who since 2014 posted their first tour victory at the age of 22, after Collin Morikawa, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Hideki Matsuyama.

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