The PGA TOUR is hosting an alternate-field event in Puerto Rico this week. The Puerto Rico Open tees off on Thursday at Grand Reserve Country Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. This is a look at the best first round leader bet to make at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Puerto Rico Open
The Puerto Rico Open will be played at Grand Reserve Country Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. Grand Reserve is a Tom Kite-designed par 72 golf course and ranges 7,506 yards. The best players in the world will be playing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational this weekend, but this alternate-field event is very important for the players involved. The greens have Paspalum grass and typically the best approach players succeed here. Stars like Viktor Hovland and Tony Finau both got their first PGA Tour wins here, so it’s a great scouting ground for young golfers.
Here is a look at my pick to lead after the first round of the Puerto Rico Open:
Aaron Baddeley FRL (+10000)
While most of the field is filled with young golfers looking to make a name for themselves, Aaron Baddeley is an incredibly experienced player in his 26th year on the PGA Tour. Baddeley might not have the raw talent that a lot of these players do, but he more than makes up for it in experience. Baddeley hasn’t been overly competitive in recent seasons but is still able to piece together good tournament and great rounds. Baddeley has been great in opening rounds the last two weeks and he could jump out to another hot start this week. Aaron Baddeley shot an opening round of 67 at both the Farmers Insurance Open and at the Cognizant Classic. Both weeks Baddeley tailed off over the weekend but started very strong.
Baddeley participated in this event in 2024 and finished a solid T23, his second-best finish last season. In fact, Baddeley has always performed well in Puerto Rico. He has played The Puerto Rico Open five times in his career, never finishing worse than T30. He has career finishes of T8 and T2 at this event, so he has been at the top of the field here multiple times in the past decade. With odds of 100/1, it’s hard to pass up the great value on Baddeley, who has more career success at this tournament than a large majority of the field.
