Golf: PGA Tour Corales Punta Cana Resort and Club Championship
Venue: Corales Golf Club, Dominican Republic.
Dates: Thursday 24th – Sunday 27th March 2022
Tournament Preview
The PGA Tour continues apace out in the Dominican Republic as some of the players on the fringes look to establish themselves on the tour. The WGC World Matchplay event taking place at the same time is sure to take some attention off this event but with a strong field and plenty of prize money up for grabs, it promises to be an excellent weekend of golf. Although the Corales Punta Cana Resort and Club Championship is a relatively new event on tour, the winning alumni is impressive with Graeme McDowell and Nate Lashley two of the 6 players to have been crowned as winner of the event since its launch back in 2016.
Betting Preview
Outright Winner
The absence of some big names here in the Dominican Republic could be hugely helpful for some PGA Tour fringe players:-
Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas heads up the betting, with his excellent all round play surely an excellent fit for conditions here in the Dominican Republic.
A former winner of this event, Nate Lashley has won subsequently on the PGA Tour and with a strong course and distance showing under his belt, he looks overpriced here.
Austrian Matthias Schwab is one of the most talented players around and although his results haven’t backed that up so far this year, he could be in contention from the off here in Punta Cana.
Young Dane Nicolai Hojgaard is making a name for himself on the European Tour and transitioning over to the PGA Tour is a long term goal for him and his twin brother Rasmus and this could be a breakthrough event.
Former Masters champion Danny Willett is somewhat the forgotten man of the modern game, but the Englishman is capable in all conditions, and he should go well here in the warmth of the Dominican Republic.
1st Round Leader
Producing the goods over 72 holes is often the most difficult thing for any golfer to do therefore here are our first-round leader picks:-
Belgian Thomas Detry is another man that should relish the warmer climes and his form on the European Tour of late makes him a candidate from the off here in Punta Cana.
Korn Ferry Tour big name Brandon Wu is taking tentative steps into the big wide world of PGA Tour golf and how he would love to step up to the plate here and finish in the top 10.
Top Ten Finish
With so many quality players assembled here in the Dominican Republic, getting into the winning enclosure could be tough but there are plenty of candidates to finish in the top 10 come Sunday:-
American Mark Hubbard is enjoying by far his most consistent season on the PGA Tour and his game looks well equipped for conditions here in Punta Cana, making him a real candidate for a top 10 finish.
Former winner of this event Graeme McDowell is a man that is capable of turning up on any course and the Northern Irishman could be refreshed and ready in the Dominican Republic this week.
Much like his twin brother Nicolai, Rasmus Hojgaard has made waves on the European Tour this season and his first outing on the PGA Tour will be one he will be looking to mark significantly.
Punta Cana Championship betxchange.com Best Bets:
Outright Winner: Jhonattan Vegas – 16/1
First Round Leader: Brandon Wu – 55/1
Top 10 Finish: Mark Hubbard – 3/1
