Chad Ramey is the new champion of the 5th Corales Puntacana Championship PGA TOUR 2022, taking with him the prize of US$666,000, of a prize pool of US$3.7 million, the highest registered in the history of sports in the Dominican Republic, and 300 FedExCup points.
The professional golf player received the winner´s trophy at an award ceremony headed by the president and CEO of Grupo Puntacana, Frank Elías Rainieri; Stephen Cox, PGA TOUR Tournament Official; the Dominican Republic´s Minister of Tourism, David Collado; and the founder and president of the Grupo Puntacana Board, Frank Rainieri.
The historic tournament concluded on the 18th hole of the Corales golf course.
The president and CEO of Grupo Puntacana, Frank Elías Rainieri, stated during the ceremony: “I greatly appreciate the PGA TOUR for once again placing their trust in us, and in Punta Cana, as a destination to celebrate this event. I would like to thank our supporters, volunteers and sponsors, who have carried out an impeccable job to ensure the success and excellence of this international event in our country.”
“We applaud Grupo Puntacana and the Rainieri family for having the vision of sponsoring a tournament of this nature, thus elevating the proud nature of the Dominican Republic. On behalf of the President of the Republic and the Dominican government, we thank the PGA TOUR for coming to the Dominican Republic.”
Mr. Frank Rainieri presented the new champion with the traditional Corales hat and a Guayabera, iconic symbols of the tournament. “I thank the Minister of Tourism, who has been present from the first moment, and an important ally for this fifth edition that concludes with great success,” Rainieri pointed out.
Ramey, the new “King of Corales,” said: “I thank the volunteers and the Rainieri family for their hospitality and welcome. The Dominican Republic will always have a special place in my heart. I hope this is the first of many trophies on the PGA TOUR.”
Thousands of fans viewed the international event during the four-day tournament. The event was broadcast by the Golf Channel, reaching more than 525 million viewers in 153 countries. In the United States alone, 3.4 million viewers tuned in to watch the tournament.
Ramey, 29, was crowned after scoring -17. He is the youngest winner of the Corales Puntacana Championship. After holding the lead in each of the first three rounds this week, Ben Martin (-16) finished as runner-up alongside Alex Smalley (-16).
For the first time, Ramey also becomes the eighth winner of the season on the PGA TOUR and third in the tournament´s history, joining Brice Garnett (2018) and Joel Dahmen (2021).
Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas (-15) played a solid game on the final day of competition, finishing fourth in pursuit of his fourth PGA TOUR win and first since the 2017 RBC Canadian Open.
Corales Puntacana Resort & Club, home to the first and only PGA TOUR event in the Dominican Republic, was designed by world-renowned architect Tom Fazio. Opened in 2010, it is located next to the cliffs, bays, natural ocean inlets, inland lakes and coral quarries of the Caribbean Sea. It has 18 holes, six of them facing the sea and culminating with the last three holes that are also known as “The Devil´s Elbow.” They are considered to be one of the most spectacular and difficult final holes in the world.
As part of the PGA TOUR Sponsor Value Program. golf players Josh Creel and Fabian Gomez, along with Puertorrican singer Luis Fonsi, visited the Center of Diversity Puntacana (CEDI) accompanied by Mr. Frank Rainieri, president of Grupo Puntacana Foundation, where they met and learned about the stories of patients and families being treated and the positive impact of the tournament. To date, the center has treated more than 3,000 patients.
Players Greg Chalmers, David Hearn and Ted Potter also visited the Dr. Zato Fight Against Blindness Center. Located in Verón, is the first and only in its category in the eastern region of the Dominican Republic. Since it’s inauguration in 2021, they have treated more than 1,000 patients.
“Through the Corales Puntacana Championship we can continue, for four more years, promoting the best of Dominican Republic and Punta Cana as one of the leading golf tourist destinations in the Caribbean; but most important, this partnership helps us develop our dream to empower and grow the community through our social and environmental programs,” said Frank Elías Rainieri, President and CEO of Grupo Puntacana.
Proceeds donated through the tournament, have helped Grupo Puntacana develop social and environmental programs, translating into more than 150,000 people receiving medical assistance and more than 7,000 high school students and technicians graduating from educational centers.
Last year the tournament went down in history as the first PGA TOUR event to be held twice in the same season in more than 70 years, achieving 4.8 billion national and international print and digital media impressions in 153 countries, reaching 3.4 million viewers in the United States and 2 million listeners locally.
The 5th Corales Puntacana Championship was sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR), Banreservas, DOMICEM, Seguros Universal, Brugal, Texaco GB Energy, Consorcio Energético Punta Cana- Macao (CEPM), Grupo Viamar, CDN DEPORTES, Puntacana Resort & Club, Punta Cana International Airport, The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club, Tortuga Bay Puntacana Resort & Club, Aiport Team Solutions, Pollo Victorina, Autohaus, Runners Adventures, IMCA The Rental Store, BDExperience, Gray Line, Tracks, Pizza Hut, Grupo Dupla, Aperol Spritz, Centro Médico Punta Cana, Club Car, Duty Free Americas, Constructora Llodrá, Claro, Coca Cola, Tito’s Vodka, Cigarro Dominicano, Freixenet Cava, Tribe & Folk, Spectro Lights On, Inprotec, Hola Punta Cana by
Oscar Cerda, GULF, AVIS, Canita, Altron Trading Co, LOMO, Picky Plants, United Petroleum, United Gas, IMCA, Tu Boleta, DBI Industrial, Serviport, Café Santo Domingo, Coolekos, Hartemanía, Hartemontajes, KG Constructora, Baskin Robbins, Codelpa, Pirulin, Consorcio Remix, MP Service, Caribbean Turf and Punta Cana Party.
