First held in 2008, the Puerto Rico Open is a PGA Tour professional golf event. It's the only PGA Tour tournament that Puerto Rico has ever hosted. Tom Kite built the Coco Beach Golf Course, formerly known as Trump International Golf Club Puerto Rico, where the tournament is held. Early March was the venue for this event from its debut until 2015 when it was shifted to late March to take place in opposition to the WGC-Dell Match Play.
The original Puerto Rico Open was from 1956 to 1967. Up until 1965, it was a regular event on the PGA-sponsored Caribbean Tour. Following that, the sponsors moved the tournament to a later date in the same year. Before being resurrected as a PGA Tour event in 2008, the Puerto Rico Open was revived in 2004 and 2005 as a stop on the Tour de las Américas.
Puerto Rico Open winners receive 300 FedEx Cup points and 24 OWGR points, whereas World Golf Championship winners receive 550 FedEx Cup and 70–80 OWGR points. The winner of this alternate tournament earns a two-year PGA Tour exemption (as opposed to three for a WGC event) and entrance into the PGA Championship as a Tour champion, but they do not receive a bid to the Masters.
There are eight more sponsor exemptions available for the Puerto Rico Open. Players from South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Puerto Rico are only allowed to play four of these. The remaining four exemptions are unrestricted.
Since the event's winners have never gone on to win another tournament, it had been thought of as having an unofficial "curse" on the PGA Tour. The sole exception to this rule was Michael Bradley, who never won another PGA Tour competition but did win the Puerto Rico Open twice, in 2011 and 2009. But after winning the Puerto Rico Open earlier in the year, Viktor Hovland broke the "curse" by winning the Mayakoba Golf Classic in December 2020.
Who won the PGA Puerto Rico Open in 2024?
The Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande hosted the 2024 Puerto Rico Open, which was won by Brice Garnett, who won the $720,000 winner's share of the $4 million purse. As an alternative event, this victory also gave him 300 points in the FedEx Cup ranking, and guaranteed him a spot on the PGA Tour through the end of 2025.
All 10 players finished within four strokes of the leader, meaning the playoffs were required to decide the winner of the tournament. In a four-hole playoff, Erik Barnes lost to Brice Garnett; their final scores together were 19 under.
After winning the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship in 2018, this was Garnett's second victory on the PGA Tour. At the Puerto Rico Open, he shot two eagles, 19 birdies, and two bogeys.
Who won the PGA Puerto Rico Open in 2023?
Nicholas Echavarria won the 2023 Puerto Rico Open at Rio Grande, Puerto Rico's Grand Reserve Golf Club. Echavarria took home the $684,000 winner's share of the $3,800,000 purse.
Echavarria took command of the final round, shooting a 4-under 68 to win comfortably on 21-under 267, his maiden PGA Tour victory. With a 19-under score, Akshay Bhatia came in second in the tournament, and Carson Young and Nate Lashley tied for third with a 16-under.
PGA Puerto Rico Open Winners List Year-by-Year
| Year | Winner | Score | To par | Margin | Winner's share |
| 2024 | Brice Garnett | 269 | -19 | PO | $720,000 |
| 2023 | Nicholas Echavarria | 267 | -21 | 2 | $684,000 |
| 2022 | Ryan Brehm | 268 | −20 | 6 | $666,000 |
| 2021 | Branden Grace | 269 | −19 | 1 | $540,000 |
| 2020 | Viktor Hovland | 268 | −20 | 1 | $540,000 |
| 2019 | Martin Trainer | 275 | −15 | 3 | $540,000 |
| 2018 | Not Played | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2017 | D.A. Points | 268 | −20 | 2 | $540,000 |
| 2016 | Tony Finau | 276 | −12 | PO | $540,000 |
| 2015 | Alex Čejka | 281 | −7 | PO | $540,000 |
| 2014 | Chesson Hadley | 267 | −21 | 2 | $630,000 |
| 2013 | Scott Brown | 268 | −20 | 1 | $630,000 |
| 2012 | George McNeill | 272 | −16 | 2 | $630,000 |
| 2011 | Michael Bradley (2) | 272 | −16 | PO | $630,000 |
| 2010 | Derek Lamely | 269 | −19 | 2 | $630,000 |
| 2009 | Michael Bradley | 274 | −14 | 1 | $630,000 |
| 2008 | Greg Kraft | 274 | −14 | 1 | $630,000 |
| 1967 | Chuck Courtney | 280 | −8 | 2 | Unknown |
| 1966 | Ramón Sota | 284 | −4 | 2 | Unknown |
| 1965 | Howell Fraser | 288 | E | 1 | Unknown |
| 1964 | Art Wall Jr. | 289 | 1 | PO | Unknown |
| 1963 | Charlie Sifford | 277 | −7 | 6 | Unknown |
| 1962 | George Knudson | 280 | −4 | 2 | Unknown |
| 1961 | Billy Maxwell | 273 | −11 | 7 | Unknown |
| 1960 | Joe Jimenez | 280 | −4 | PO | Unknown |
| 1959 | Pete Cooper | 282 | −6 | 5 | Unknown |
| 1958 | Bob Toski | 288 | E | 2 | Unknown |
| 1957 | Chick Harbert | 281 | −7 | 2 | Unknown |
| 1956 | Antonio Cerdá | 144 | E | 5 | Unknown |
Multiple PGA Puerto Rico Open Champions
The only player to ever win the Puerto Rico Open more than once is Michael Bradley, taking the victory in 2009 as well as 2011.
| No. of Wins | Name | Country | Years |
| 2 | Michael Bradley | United States | 2009, 2011 |
FAQs
A. The Puerto Rico Open, a PGA Tour event, debuted in 2008 at the Coco Beach Golf Course in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
A. The event initially took place in early March until 2015, when it was moved to late March, coinciding with the WGC-Dell Match Play.
A. Winners receive 300 FedEx Cup points and 24 OWGR points. They get a two-year PGA Tour exemption and entry into the PGA Championship.
A. Winners were thought not to win another tournament. The "curse" was broken by Viktor Hovland, who won the Mayakoba Golf Classic in 2020 after winning earlier in the year.
A. Brice Garnett won the 2024 Puerto Rico Open at Grand Reserve Golf Club, defeating Erik Barnes in a playoff for a score of 19 under.
