Nico Echavarria claims first title

Puerto Rico Open R4

Colombia’s Nico Echavarria started the week on the heels of four consecutive missed cuts but closed with a 68 to reach 21-under and claim his first career PGA Tour title in 11th start. He earned a place in this week’s Players Championship and becomes fully exempt through the 2024-25 season.

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“With the way I was playing the last couple weeks, at Honda, that course is really hard but I missed the cut by 8 or 9. At Pebble I missed it by a lot. You just, you just don’t think it’s going to get better until things like this week clicks and finding something on the range on Friday just changes your week.

“I think like if I wouldn’t have had that practice session on Friday afternoon very late and found what I found, I don’t think I would be here because it cleared my mind up. I was thinking too many things, I was on a bad spot mentally before coming to this week.

“So you just don’t know when it’s going to happen and that’s why you have to be open minded that it can change anytime and you have to be positive about it. So here we are.

“I take a lot from this week. Obviously my first win on the PGA Tour. Very happy, very happy with Puerto Rico, it’s awesome. First time here and we go out with a win. So I’m super pumped with how I – my golf game evolved and how it’s going to help for the rest of the year.”

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Akshay Bhatia of the USA birdied the final four holes for a 65, tying the low round of the day (Cody Gribble T7/-7), to finish solo-second at 19-under and gain Special Temporary Membership, affording him unlimited sponsor exemptions.

The finish marks his best in 22 starts and betters his only other top-10 finish of T9 at the 2020 Fortinet Championship.

American rookie Carson Young, who led by three and four shots, respectively after rounds one and two, closed with back-to-back 71s in rounds three and four to finish tied for third at 16-under, his best finish in 12 starts this season.

“I’m proud of myself this week. This is my best finish by far on the PGA TOUR. I fought hard and I had a great start and I felt like I still played good today. I just didn’t make some putts, didn’t make some 10-footers that I really needed to make to put the pressure on. But I hit a lot of great iron shots to some tough pins today. It’s a lot to build on and it’s just going to give me confidence that I can win out here. Just a lot of positives, so I can’t be down about it.

Compatriot Nate Lashley carded a 69 for his share of third place, his third consecutive top-10 in the event.

Rafael Campos, the lone Puerto Rico native to make the cut, finished T48 at 4-under.

Pos.PlayerTo ParR1R2R3R4Total
1Nico Echavarria-2167676568267
2Akshay Bhatia-1966716765269
T3Nate Lashley-1671656769272
T3Carson Young-1663677171272
5Michael Kim-1570667166273
6Wesley Bryan-1469696769274
T7Cody Gribble-1369707165275
T7John VanDerLaan-1369716966275
T7Harry Higgs-1371647169275
T7Harry Hall-1372646871275
T11Bill Haas-1267697466276
T11Tano Goya-1268697267276
T11Ryan Gerard-1269677268276
T11Geoff Ogilvy-1269687069276
T15Kevin Chappell-1171716867277
T15Henrik Norlander-1170716868277
T15Grayson Murray-1170716868277
T15Chris Stroud-1169696970277
T15Augusto Núñez-1167707070277
T15Sam Stevens-1168706574277
T21Richy Werenski-1071707166278
T21Paul Haley II-1068667470278
T21Hank Lebioda-1070667270278
T21Anders Albertson-1070696970278
T21Vincent Norrman-1069696971278
T21Derek Lamely-1070686971278
T21Scott Piercy-1067736771278
T21Derek Ernst-1070686872278
T29Josh Teater-970716969279
T29Scott Harrington-970687170279
T29S.Y. Noh-970696971279
32Erik van Rooyen-871687269280
T33Greg Chalmers-769747167281
T33Max McGreevy-766717371281
T33Scott Brown-772706871281
T33Noah Goodwin-770677272281
T33Ricky Barnes-770697072281
T33Kevin Roy-771706773281
T33Matti Schmid-768706974281
T40Brandon Matthews-671727168282
T40Brent Grant-669747069282
T40Andrew Landry-671697270282
T40Trevor Werbylo-671707170282
T44Jason Dufner-568717668283
T44D.J. Trahan-570707271283
T44Andrew Novak-568727172283
T44Jim Herman-571706874283
T48Rafael Campos-470707470284
T48Ryan Blaum-468737271284
T48Jonathan Byrd-472716972284
T48Camilo Villegas-468717273284
T48Dylan Wu-470697273284
T48Brice Garnett-469706877284
T54Kyle Stanley-371717271285
T54Jiri Zuska(a)-370707372285
T54Kevin Stadler-370717272285
T57Nick Watney-272717370286
T57William McGirt-269727075286
T59Brandon Harkins-169717473287
T59Ted Potter, Jr.-171726975287
T61Ryan ArmourPar73707471288
T61Sean O'HairPar75687372288
T61George McNeillPar72687573288
T64Jonas Blixt+172697672289
T64Richard S. Johnson+171727472289
T64Martin Trainer+170727473289
T64MJ Daffue+172707473289
68Ben Crane+272717473290
69Sung Kang+273707474291
70Trevor Cone+671717478294
CUTDavid HearnPar7470--144
CUTMichael GligicPar7173--144
CUTJulián EtulainPar7470--144
CUTChris NidoPar7173--144
CUTFabián GómezPar7470--144
CUTBrian StuardPar7371--144
CUTRoberto DíazPar7371--144
CUTCarl YuanPar7173--144
CUTStephen Stallings Jr.Par7668--144
CUTJ.J. Henry+17372--145
CUTSangmoon Bae+17075--145
CUTCarl Pettersson+17372--145
CUTJohn Rollins+17372--145
CUTBen Carr(a)+17174--145
CUTAustin Eckroat+17273--145
CUTErik Barnes+27175--146
CUTParker McLachlin+27175--146
CUTAustin Cook+27274--146
CUTJesse Mueller+27373--146
CUTJason Bohn+37572--147
CUTK.J. Choi+37572--147
CUTZecheng Dou+37374--147
CUTTommy Gainey+47573--148
CUTBo Van Pelt+47870--148
CUTTed Purdy+47573--148
CUTOmar Uresti+47474--148
CUTMatt Every+47969--148
CUTArjun Atwal+47771--148
CUTRobert Garrigus+57772--149
CUTD.A. Points+57574--149
CUTRyuji Imada+57475--149
CUTTim Cantwell+57574--149
CUTChad Campbell+67674--150
CUTRobi Calvesbert(a)+67476--150
CUTCameron Percy+67773--150
CUTEdward Figueroa+77576--151
CUTHiram Silfa+77675--151
CUTBrian Davis+77576--151
CUTBoo Weekley+87973--152
CUTTom Adrounie+87478--152
CUTDaniel Chopra+87478--152
CUTCarlos Franco+87379--152
CUTGuy Boros+97974--153
CUTFrank Lickliter II+97281--153
CUTEric Axley+107777--154
CUTRobert Gamez+127779--156
CUTJonathan Kaye+127977--156
CUTDiego Saavedra-Davila(a)+157782--159
W/DCameron Beckman-79---79
W/DJeff Overton-76---76
Updated: March 17, 2023
Puerto Rico Open 2023
Date: 2nd March - 5th March, 2023
Location: Grand Reserve Golf Club Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
Purse: $3,800,000