Tag: Grand Reserve Golf Club

Brice Garnett outlasts Erik Barnes in four-hole playoff at 2024 Puerto Rico Open, earns spot in the Players Championship

Garnett’s last win came six years ago.

The first opposite-field event of the 2024 PGA Tour season was a two-man race down the stretch that went to a lengthy playoff.

On one side was Erik Barnes, who turned pro in 2011 but was making just his 22nd PGA Tour start. On the other was Brice Garnett, who six years ago won his lone tournament, the 2018 Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship in the Dominican Republic. This was his 241st start.

In a social media post from 2020 that resurfaced Sunday, Barnes talked about taking a job as a Grocery Replenishment Specialist, with the shifts starting at 4 a.m., during COVID when playing opportunities diminished on the Korn Ferry Tour.

“It’s a nice way of saying ‘stock boy’,” he said at the time.

The duo were tied for the lead after regulation at 19 under, with both making par on the 630-yard par-5 18th. In the playoff, they each went par-birdie-par before Garnett drained a long right-to-left breaking putt for a birdie, leaving Barnes to match with a putt from the fringe for birdie but he ran it by the left.

That ended the longest playoff in tournament history as Garnett won for the second time on Tour, six years after his first. He earned $720,000 for the win as well as full exempt status on the PGA Tour through the 2026 season.

He also earned a spot in this week’s 2024 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

Ben Kohles, Jimmy Stanger and Victor Perez, who shot a 65 Sunday, tied for third.

Amateur Jackson Van Paris, a junior at Vanderbilt playing in his first PGA Tour event, posted the low score in the final round, an 8-under 64. He was in 50th place to start the day but finished tied for 10th.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1375]

Ben Kohles shoots career-best round, leads Puerto Rico Open with 18 holes to go

Ben Kohles last four starts? MC, MC, WD, MC.

In Ben Kohles last four starts, he has missed three cuts and withdrawn from the other tournament.

At the 2024 Puerto Rico Open at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande, he’s the solo leader with 18 holes to play.

Kohles shot the best score in relation to par, 9-under 63, in his PGA Tour career on Saturday. He had nine birdies and nine pars with a clean card to put himself in position for his first Tour victory.

“The last four events haven’t been great, but like we always say, I felt like I’ve been close,” Kohles said. “I don’t feel like I’ve been playing that bad. Like I said, I think I just needed something to kind of click.”

Click it did Saturday.

Kohles sits at 18 under for the tournament, leading Jimmy Stanger, Brice Garnett and Matti Schmid by two shots. Last year’s champion, Nico Echavarria, sits solo eighth at 13 under.

A year ago this week, Kohles won on the Korn Ferry Tour in Chile. He’s trying to go back-to-back, but this victory would mean even more.

The winner Sunday will earn a Tour card through 2026, a $720,000 winner’s check and 300 FedEx Cup points.

Lefty Joe Highsmith pulls in front on bunched-up Puerto Rico Open leaderboard

The Pepperdine grad is angling to be the 16th left-handed golfer to win on the circuit.

There were eight golfers tied atop the 2024 Puerto Rico Open leaderboard after the first round, which finished Friday because of a weather delay Thursday.

The bunched-up leaderboard continued through the second round, as four golfers – Matti Schmid, Kevin Streelman, Rafael Campos and Ryo Hisatune – shared the 36-hole lead at the Grand Reserve Golf Club until late in the day when Joe Highsmith got to 13 under before play was suspended for darkness for a second night in a row.

The Pepperdine grad making his eighth PGA Tour start is angling to be the 16th left-handed golfer to win on the circuit.

He went out in 32 after a birdie on No. 8 and an eagle on No. 9. After a bogey on 10, he birdied Nos. 11, 13 and 14 before his day was over.

This is the first opposite-field event of the season, and in addition to the $720,000 first-place prize, the winner will earn a spot in the 2024 Players Championship, if not already eligible, as well as a two-year PGA Tour exemption.

A 4-time winner and a PGA Tour rookie are tied for lead at stormy Puerto Rico Open

The Puerto Rico Open at Grand Reserve Golf Club is the Tour’s first opposite-field event of the year.

Scott Piercy is a four-time PGA Tour winner. Joe Highsmith is a Tour rookie.

Piercy, 45, is nearly twice as old as Highsmith, 23. The duo are in vastly different stages of their career, but they’re tied for the led at the 2024 Puerto Rico Open after their 7-under 65 opening rounds.

The Puerto Rico Open at Grand Reserve Golf Club is the Tour’s first opposite-field event of the year, and Thursday’s opening round didn’t finish because of afternoon storms that rolled through the area, forcing a suspension of play for more than two hours for the afternoon groups.

The first round was suspended with 54 players still needing to complete their rounds. Play will resume at 7:20 a.m. ET Friday, with round two scheduled to begin at 7:50 a.m. ET.

Piercy and Highsmith finished their rounds in the morning and are the overnight leaders.

“I think today was a lot of progress on the mental side,” Highsmith said of his opening round. “I felt like this year I just haven’t done a great job kind of just focusing and being like clear on what I’m trying to do out there. It’s been easy to get distracted with a lot of stuff out here.”

2024 Puerto Rico Open
Joe Highsmith plays his shot from the fourth tee during the first round of the 2024 Puerto Rico Open at Grand Reserve Golf Club. (Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Kevin Streelman was 6 under thru 14 when the horn sounded for the day, and he’s tied with Brice Garnett, Garrick Higgo and Erik Barnes at T-3.

Defending champion Nico Echavarria shot 4 under in the opening round and is T-17. Aaron Wise, in his first start since the 2023 U.S. Open, shot 4 over.

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.

[pickup_prop id=”32227″]

“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.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=]

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.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=]

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.”

[mm-video type=video id=01gt834zy06zfqcwt5af playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gt834zy06zfqcwt5af/01gt834zy06zfqcwt5af-313ac7b37235fb98c812db0e4a98fead.jpg]

Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira, who finished runner-up last year, leads Latin America Amateur Championship in record-setting fashion with 18 holes to play

Fernandez de Oliveira’s 18-under total is a 54-hole LAAC record.

It’s safe to say Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira doesn’t want to leave any doubt.

Last year, the senior at Arkansas finished runner-up at the Latin America Amateur Championship. He barely missed out on an invitation to two majors, including the Masters.

This year, the Argentinian has taken command with 18 holes to play. Fernandez de Oliveira went low on moving day, sparked by a stretch of five birdies in as many holes on the back nine to shoot 9-under 63 and take a four-shot advantage to Sunday’s final round at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Puerto Rico. He sits at 18 under for the tournament, leading second-round leader Luis Carrera, who hails from Mexico and is a fifth-year senior at UCF.

Fernandez de Oliveira’s 18-under total is a 54-hole LAAC record. Additionally, his 9-under mark in the third round ties the tournament record set by Joaquin Niemann.

Fellow Razorback teammate Julian Perico is tied for third at 13 under. Perico fired a 5-under 67 during the third round. He’s tied with Vicente Marzillo, who shot 6 under on Saturday.

Fernandez de Oliveira had the best round of the day by two shots, but the highlight came when he birdied Nos. 11-15 to pull into the lead. He finished on a high note, too, birdieing the par-4 18th to cap his bogey-free round.

The winner will receive numerous exemptions, including to the 2023 Masters, the Open Championship and the U.S. Open for the first time. In addition, they will also be fully exempt into the 128th Amateur Championship, the U.S. Amateur Championship and any other USGA amateur championship for which he is eligible.

The runner(s)-up is exempt into the final stages of qualifying for the U.S. Open and Open Championship.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01f1jy2metwcg6v9hc image=]