The PGA TOUR has arrived for the 15th playing of the Puerto Rico Open this week, when many of the world’s top players – including six Puerto Rican players (Boricua) – will compete for shares of the $3.8 prize money on the Championship Course at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande.
As if having the PGA TOUR make its annual stop here isn’t exciting enough, this year the Puerto Rico Open comes on the heels of the Island hosting the Latin America Amateur Championship last month, when the winner earned invitations to play in this year’s Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship (three of golf’s four major championships). Further, last spring Puerto Rico and Grand Reserve held the first United States Golf Association championship to be played outside the mainland (Women’s Amateur Four-Ball).
“We are humbled and thrilled that the PGA TOUR has returned to Puerto Rico and the Island is increasingly being honored to host these extraordinary golf tournaments that draw global attention to our wonderful destination,” said Brad Dean, CEO, Discover Puerto Rico. “Our Destination Marketing Organization’s mission is to highlight Puerto Rico’s global brand, and the PGA TOUR, USGA, Latin America Amateur Championship and Golf Channel coverage are helping golfers throughout the world learn about our courses, culture, golf resorts, miles of beaches, and many other attributes.”
The 2023 Puerto Rico Open is set to crown another champion amid the Island’s tropical splendor. Some of the PGA TOUR’s biggest names and rising stars have won or finished runner-up here. These include Viktor Hovland, Jordan Spieth, Daniel Berger, Jason Day, Tony Finau and Retief Goosen, all either winners of Major Championships or highly ranked in the Official World Golf Ranking.
The tournament will be contested on the Championship Course adjacent to the amenity-rich, oceanfront Hyatt Regency.
“The Puerto Rico Open has been established as the premier golf event held on the Island for the past 15 years. Through our long-standing partnership as the title sponsor, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company is proud to continue supporting the celebration of this important tournament, which has not only become a key platform to promote Puerto Rico as a world-class golf destination, but also a driving force of tourism and economic development,” said Carlos Mercado, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.
Michigan’s Ryan Brehm captured last year’s title with an exceptional final round. But it was the Island’s own Rafa Campos who nearly set off a country-wide celebration in 2021 Puerto Rico Open. Leading after three rounds, he narrowly fell to the eventual champion.
Island native and legendary champion Chi Chi Rodriguez won eight times on the PGA TOUR. He designed El Legado, a popular 18-hole course in Guayama, within minutes of the ocean on the south coast. It is one of Puerto Rico’s 18 golf courses, including several of the “Top 50 Courses in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and the Atlantic Islands” (source: Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play).
Other course designers represented on the Island include Tom Kite, Tom and George Fazio, Gary Player, Rees Jones, Robert Trent Jones, Sr., and his son Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Many of the courses are amenities of beautiful resorts, including Royal Isabela; Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino; The St. Regis Bahia Beach; Wyndham Grand Rio Mar; Wyndham Palmas; Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve; and the forementioned Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve.
Golf courses are located throughout the Island with many in the Northeast near San Juan. Puerto Rico is an enchanting destination where history, gastronomy, nightlife, and natural wonders abound. It requires no passport for American citizens, is bilingual, uses the U.S. dollar for currency, and is the air hub of the Caribbean. There are more than 4,000 restaurants, and an array of award-winning lodging options of every kind.
Learn more about visiting Puerto Rico at DiscoverPuertoRico.com
