As with every week that there is a WGC event on this year there is also a lower key PGA Tour tournament alongside it and this week the Tour heads to the Dominican Republic for the second staging of the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship.
This was initially a Web.com Tour event but it was elevated to PGA Tour level last year with Brice Garnett landing the title and the playing benefits that go with it. He is here to defend the title with a number of those who failed to make the WGC event looking to usurp him.
Recent Winners
2018 – Brice Garnett
The Course
As with last year and both the years this tournament was on the Web.com Tour the Corales Golf Club in Punta Cana hosts the event this week. The course is a bit of a monster at 7,670 yards for a par 72 although these resort tracks tend to be longer on paper than how they play.
This is a very simple resort track which is built for the casual golfers so Tour level professionals can get right after it. The fairways are wide and the greens are big so we’re looking at something of a putting contest this week. The only thing that could separate the field is the wind. Those comfortable in it will probably have an edge on those who aren’t.
The Field
Much like the Indian Open, it would be foolish to expect a decent field in this tournament. This event is just to give those who don’t make the WGC a competition to tee it up in but despite that Jhonattan Vegas sets a decent enough standard as the field bearer this week. Sungjae Im is another player with good promise in the field.
From a European point of view there is a good showing here. Thomas Detry, Graeme McDowell and Paul Dunne are elite level players on the European Tour who are here while David Lipsky has won across the pond this year already. Charl Schwartzel, Rory Sabbatini and Aaron Baddeley will all be looking to secure their playing rights for a couple of seasons by winning here.
Market Leaders
You would expect Jhonattan Vegas to be the favourite this week and the market hasn’t disappointed in that regard and he is the 14/1 jolly to win the competition. There is nothing that can be used against him other than perhaps complacency that he has had to drop to this level. He’s a birdie machine with no real weakness at this level so he’ll be popular. I’m not a 14/1 player though so he isn’t for me.
I’ve backed Sungjae Im a couple of times this season and having finished well in the Valspar last week I’m not surprised to see him installed as the 16/1 second favourite here. I have him as a player more likely to contend on tougher tracks but this is a good level below last week so based on that he would have every chance of delivering the goods here.
Denny McCarthy is a popular pick here at 22/1. I’m not surprised at that because he went well here last year and is one of the better putters on the PGA Tour this season and of the three at the head of the betting he would probably be my pick. I’m not taking him though because I think he’s at the bottom level of his price and any value is miniscule, if it is there at all.
The Chilean hot shot Joaquin Niemann is the 28/1 fourth favourite to deliver the goods. The hype around him has quietened down this year which is understandable but he has been priced on his reputation. He’ll be used to playing these sort of events but the price does little for me I’ve got to say. It is 30/1 bar those.
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Main Bets
My two main bets happen to be the two men who won this tournament in its Web.com Tour days. I’m not backing them because they’ve won here but it does no harm. This is a big week for Nate Lashley. It is the last week of his medical exemption on the PGA Tour and he needs to come inside the top 25 to secure his playing rights but having won here because he should be thinking of much more than that. I say that because he is an excellent putter and is comfortably inside the top 50 on the birdie average which are two decent facets to use here. He’ll be able to draw on the memories of three years ago and I’m expecting a good run for my money.
I’m also expecting a decent run from the other previous winner here in Dominic Bozelli. Bozelli ticks all the boxes I like here. He leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained putting this week so immediately has my attention but then he is sat at 15 in the birdie average which is another positive. Two of his three best results have come in the RSM Classic and the Puerto Rico Open where the wind is in play so that box is ticked too. He knows how to get it done here and at 50/1 I wouldn’t be surprised if I land the full bunce.
Outsiders
A couple of outsiders have jumped off the page at me with Roger Sloan the first of those. He was the runner up in the first of these minor events in Puerto Rico last month and has kicked on from there with a top 30 at The Honda Classic and a top 25 at Bay Hill. He was right there after 54 holes of the Valspar last week too but was one of the ones found out in the final round. This is a level or two below those events though so I see no reason why he can’t get into contention and if he does he showed in the Desert Classic that he can continue to go low and stay there.
Derek Fathauer has a reputation as being one of the best putters on the PGA Tour and that is going to be a big thing here. He doesn’t get into many PGA Tour events these days so this has to be a good week for him. He was just outside the top 20 in Puerto Rico last time out which was a good effort and if he can build on that here he shouldn’t be too far away. Fathauer has had his two best results in the RSM and Puerto Rico. I don’t think they are bad form guides for this week so at a three figure price knowing that his ball will reach the hole on the greens, I’ll take a punt.
Tips
Back N.Lashley to win Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 34.00 with 888sport (1/5 1-6)
Back D.Fathauer to win Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 126.00 with 888sport (1/5 1-6)
Back them here:
Back D.Bozelli to win Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 51.00 with Boylesports (1/5 1-8)
Back R.Sloan to win Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 67.00 with Boylesports (1/5 1-8)
Back them here:
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