Damien Kayat has an in-depth look at the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship which takes place between 28 March – 1 April.
The US PGA Tour 2019 | Opposite Event
Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship
Corales Golf Club, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic | 28th March- 31st March
These opposite events are often some of the hardest ones to gauge. Players are coming from different tours with different agendas, while few have too much outrageous form to speak of. Martin Trainer’s victory in Puerto Rico last month perfectly illustrates that. This will be the 4th renewal of this event but only the 2nd PGA sanctioned one. There is plenty to play for, with the winner earning a two-year PGA Tour exemption and 300 FedEx Cup points. Players such as Sungjae Im will be looking to qualify for the Masters while others will just to look to exploit the absence of the golfing elite.
The Corales Course is a Tom Fazio design that has some breath-taking vistas. It is situated between a network of natural cliffs and quarries and is a veritable behemoth on tour. Only Torrey Pines South will play longer on the PGA Tour this season. Driving stats are fairly negligible, however, as the vast, generous fairways and almost non-existent rough make this something of shootout course. The Paspalum fairways give way to fairly tricky, undulating greens. Scrambling and putting should prove more vital then what is done off the tee. The course is severely wind affected and plays much likes corollary evens such as the Sony Open and RSM Classic.
Jhonattan Vegas and Sungjae Im will certainly be the two form men teeing it up this week. The 20-year-old Korean has been a revelation while Vegas’ exploits at TPC Sawgrass almost saw him steal that championship from behind. Zach Johnson will be looking to prepare for the Masters this week while fellow Major alumni Charl Schwartzel and Graeme McDowell will add some lustre to this opposite event. Players had to deal with the ‘Snake Pit’ at Copperhead last week. This week they will encounter the ‘Devil’s Elbow’, a challenging final three holes in an otherwise benign test for golfers of this calibre.
Past Winners
2018: Brie Garnett (-18)
2017: Nate Lashley (-20)
2016: Dominic Bozzelli (-24)
Betting Favourites (To Win)
Sungjae Im (16/1)
Jhonattan Vegas (16/1)
Zach Johnson (25/1)
Nate Lashley (25/1)
Denny McCarthy (25/1)
Value Bets
Corey Connors
To Win (50/1)
To Place (11/1)
The former US Amateur Finalist should benefit greatly from the depreciated field and looks enticing at 50/1. He already has a pair of top 3’s this season and is known for his pure ball striking abilities. His mid-level finish at Sawgrass highlighted his ability to mix it with the very best of them. He currently sits 26th in strokes gained approach, which should suit a course that is far more dependent on the 2nd shot then what’s done off the tee. He has played well on the Latin America Tour and should thrive this week.
Brian Stuard
To Win (60/1)
To Place (13/1)
Brian Stuard is exactly the sort of on-descript golfer who tends to thrive in these events. Having said that, Stuard is coming off an impressive display at the far more glittering Valspar Championship. He finished in 18th and will be looking to claim only his 2nd ever title this week. That title came at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans three years ago. Stuard has excellent form at corollary courses, including a runner-up at Mayakoba and a solo 6th at the Sony Open. He has no real obvious flaws in his game and should be feeling confident following last week’s performance.
The Man to Beat
Sungjae Im
To Win (16/1)
To Place (7/2)
Korean Sungjae Im has fast turned into one of the most exciting prospects on the tour and dare I say it- a future Major contender. The Web.com graduate already has three top 10’s in 2019, including a podium finish at Bay Hill. He also ultimately finished in 4th last weekend. That result saw him move to 59th in the world, but he was just a week late to qualify for the WGC Match-Play. He has shown the capacity to win, with two victories on last year’s Web.com Tour. The 20-year-old looks a prodigy and I expect massive things from him in the years to come.
