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PGA - Puerto Rico Open Preview
From The Sports Network
| DATES: Thursday, March 11th through Sunday, March 14th |
| SITE: Trump International G.C. (Composite Course), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico |
| COURSE ARCHITECT: Tom Kite and Bruce Bresse (2004) |
| Hole-By-Hole: | 1 - Par 4 449 Yds | 10 - Par 4 430 Yds | |
| 2 - Par 5 547 Yds | 11 - Par 3 192 Yds | |
| 3 - Par 4 386 Yds | 12 - Par 4 465 Yds | |
| 4 - Par 4 455 Yds | 13 - Par 4 410 Yds | |
| 5 - Par 5 535 Yds | 14 - Par 4 477 Yds | |
| 6 - Par 3 203 Yds | 15 - Par 5 600 Yds | |
| 7 - Par 4 448 Yds | 16 - Par 3 202 Yds | |
| 8 - Par 3 236 Yds | 17 - Par 4 411 Yds | |
| 9 - Par 4 450 Yds | 18 - Par 5 630 Yds | |
| ------------- | ------------- | |
| 36 3,709 Yds | 36 3,817 Yds | |
| Annual: | 3rd |
| Television: | Golf Channel - Thursday/Friday -- 6:30-8:30 p.m. (et) - taped, |
| | - Friday/Saturday -- 1-3 a.m. (et) - replay, |
| | - Saturday -- 6:30-9:30 p.m. (et) - taped, |
| | - Sunday -- 12-2 a.m. (et) - replay, |
| | - Sunday -- 7:30-10:30 p.m. (et) - taped, |
| | - Monday -- 12-2 a.m. (et) - replay |
| Defending Champion: | Michael Bradley |
| Runner-Up: | Jason Day, Brett Quigley |
| Tournament Record: | 274 (Greg Kraft, 2008; Michael Bradley, 2009) |
| 54-Hole Record: | 204 (Bo Van Pelt, 2008; Michael Bradley, Jason Day, 2009) |
| 36-Hole Record: | 132 (Bo Van Pelt, 2008) |
| Course Record: | 64 (Bo Van Pelt, 2008; Matt Jones, 2009) |
| 9-Hole Record: | 30 (Matt Jones) |
| Total Purse: | $3,500,000 |
| Shares: | 1st Place - $630,000; 2nd Place - $378,000; 3rd Place - $238,000 |
| 2009 Finish |
| Player | Score | Player | Score |
| Michael Bradley | 274 | J.P. Hayes | 278 |
| Jason Day | 275 | John Merrick | 278 |
| Brett Quigley | 275 | Jeff Overton | 279 |
| Bart Bryant | 276 | Four players at | 280 |
| Greg Chalmers | 276 | | |
| Past Puerto Rico Open Winners |
| Year | Winner (Score) -- Runners-Up |
| 2009 | Michael Bradley (274) -- Jason Day, Brett Quigley |
| 2008 | Greg Kraft (274) -- Jerry Kelly, Bo Van Pelt |
| Top Contenders in the Field |
| Player | 2008 | 2009 | | | | | | | | |
| Michael Bradley | --- | Won | | | | | | | | |
| Brett Quigley | mc | T-2 | | | | | | | | |
| John Merrick | T-13 | T-6 | | | | | | | | |
| Joe Durant | T-50 | T-9 | | | | | | | | |
| Bryce Molder | --- | T-13 | | | | | | | | |
| Greg Kraft | Won | T-21 | | | | | | | | |
| Shaun Micheel | T-21 | T-31 | | | | | | | | |
| Kevin Stadler | T-4 | T-44 | | | | | | | | |
| Mark Brooks | mc | T-57 | | | | | | | | |
| Rocco Mediate | --- | T-74 | | | | | | | | |
| Shigeki Maruyama | wd | --- | | | | | | | | |
| Rory Sabbatini | --- | --- | | | | | | | | |
| Jeev Milkha Singh | --- | --- | | | | | | | | |
| Sports Network Selections |
| Pick to Win - Bryce Molder |
| Darkhorse - Michael Connell |
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| Last Week's Pick to Win (Paul Casey) - Finished tied for 4th |
| Last Week's Darkhorse (Camilo Villegas) - Finished 1st |
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| NOTES: |
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The PGA Tour travels to the Isle of Enchantment this week for the Puerto Rico
Open. The top players in the world are in Florida this week at the WGC-CA
Championship, therefore, there are only three players in the top-100 of the
world rankings in Puerto Rico. Rory Sabbatini is the highest-ranked player
in the field at 55th in the world. He is joined by Jeev Milkha Singh (60) and
Bryce Molder (98). The 2008 tournament was the first full-field sanctioned PGA
Tour event held in Puerto Rico.
Last year, Michael Bradley birdied the 18th hole and shot a two-under 70 in
the final round to win this event, his first PGA Tour victory in 11 years.
Bradley picked up his third career win -- his first since the 1998 Doral-Ryder
Open -- at 14-under-par 274. Jason Day and Brett Quigley finished one stroke
behind Bradley. The tournament was decided on the final seven holes. Bradley
played them at three-under par, collecting birdies at the 12th, 15th and 18th
holes. Day made only one further birdie -- at the 13th. They were both tied
with Quigley -- who had closed with a birdie in the group ahead -- as they
arrived on the tee at the par-five 18th. Bradley's two-putt birdie earned him
the win, a $630,000 check and a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour.
In 2008, Greg Kraft fired rounds of 69-66-69-70 to overtake third-round leader
Bo Van Pelt and win the inaugural event. Kraft finished at 14-under-par 274
for his first official tour title. He did win the 1993 Deposit Guaranty Golf
Classic, but that was played opposite The Masters and therefore not counted as
an official victory.
Seven former major champions are in the field this week: Mark Brooks (1996
PGA Championship), Mark Calcavecchia (1989 British Open), John Daly (1991 PGA
Championship, 1995 British Open), Steve Elkington (1995 PGA Championship),
Todd Hamilton (2004 British Open), Tom Kite (1992 U.S. Open) and Shaun
Micheel (2003 PGA Championship).
Trump International Golf Club, designed by Kite, is the only 36-hole golf
facility in Puerto Rico where you can play in the Mountains, play along the
Ocean, play in the Palms, and play among the Lakes. It's also the only golf
course in Puerto Rico with white silica sand bunkers. Relax in the clubhouse,
one of the largest in the Caribbean, and enjoy views of both the Ocean and the
El Yunque Rainforest. Trump International was originally called Coco Beach
Golf & Country Club. A portion of all four nines will be used to make up a
composite layout this week. Kite is in the field this week. He missed the cut
in the inaugural event in 2008.
Several Puerto Rico residents are expected to compete, including Rafael
Campos. The San Juan native is a member of the VCU golf team and is playing in
his third Puerto Rico Open. Fred Funk, originally scheduled to compete, has
withdrawn due to his recent knee surgery.
The PGA Tour moves to the west coast of Florida next week for the Transitions
Championship, where Retief Goosen captured his first PGA Tour event since 2005
last year.
03/09 14:39:43 ET
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As of March 9, 2010, at 02:39 PM ET
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