BlogMexico Open at Vidanta Preview and Picks

The Buzz:

This week, the Tour moves to Mexico, the last West Coast Swing event and the start of the Florida Swing.  Last year was the first year it was played in this slot, and it has never gotten many marquee players.  This is a blessing for the Cognizant Classic, which used to be wedged between the Genesis and Arnold Palmer, then the Players Championship.  Because of that, the field was very weak for the Cognizant, even though a lot of pros live within 20 miles of PGA National. So with the Mexico Open the week between L.A. and Palm Beach, the Cognizant will get a very good field as most of the marque players will do three events in a row: the Cognizant, Palmer, and The Players.

Yes, that means the Mexico Open does not attract a good field as only four top 50 world-ranked players are in the field, but it’s a good shot at seeing some young players start to peak like Jake Knapp did last year in winning the Mexico Open.

So what about the West Coast swing?

I have to say that the start of the 2025 golf season has been good.  We saw Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, and long-time player Harris English.  We saw the star of the future, Ludvig Aberg, win last week and saw Nick Straka and Nick Taylor return to the winner’s circle.  We had one first-time winner, Thomas Detry, come through at Phoenix.

Yes, I have to say that we still miss some LIV players like Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, and Cameron Smith, who won on the West Coast swing.  But they are being replaced with future stars like Maverick McNealy and past stars like Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, and, of course, Scottie Scheffler.  Talking about Scottie, we can see that he may have an Achilles heel when it comes to putting on Poa Annua greens. I think he struggles with them and is looking forward to returning to Florida Bermuda greens starting at the Arnold Palmer.

We missed Xander Schuffele, who won two majors in 2024.  He played the Sentry in Maui, but looked like he was struggling, finishing T-30th in an event he is never out of the top ten at.  He played in a TGL league event a few days later but hasn’t played since.  He told GolfWeek Magazine that he knew that a rib issue he had been fighting for months was getting “significantly worse.” He took the necessary time off to recover, which meant missing two signature events.   It was hard for him to not only miss his hometown event, the Farmers, but he was doubly upset to miss the Genesis and was forced to move to Torrey Pines.  He wanted to play but didn’t want to risk reinjuring himself and being unable to play in the Masters.  So despite it killing him, he has been patient and making sure he is 100% for the Arnold Palmer and then getting ready for Augusta.

Who has played well…

Of course, it’s easy to point to the seven winners as the best, while four of them also had another top-ten finish: Ludvig Aberg (won Genesis, T-5th at Sentry), Nick Taylor (won Sony Open & T-9th Genesis), Sepp Straka (won Amex & T-7th AT&T Pebble) and Thomas Detry (won Phoenix, T-5th at Sentry).  So who was the West Coast Swing hero, it’s hard to say.  Nobody came out of the box and played well in all of his events.  If we had to pick one, it would probably be Aberg, who was leading the Farmers before getting ill and not playing well the last 36 holes and was forced to withdraw from Pebble.

Of the players who didn’t win but played well, I have to say Justin Thomas was 2nd at the Amex, T-6th at Phoenix, and T-9th at the Genesis.  I have to think that Thomas is very close to winning.  Maverick McNealy also played well, he was T-8th at the Sentry, T-9th at Phoenix and 2nd at the Genesis.  I also saw some of Patrick Cantlay’s old form when he had T-5ths at the Amex and Genesis.  Now, Scottie Scheffler wasn’t able to play at the Sentry and Amex because of his hand injury, but from tee to green, he looks sharp, finishing T-9th at Pebble, T-25th at Phoenix, and T-3rd at the Genesis.  As I said above, I just don’t think Scheffler is keen on Poa Annua greens.  We also can’t forget about Rory McIlroy, who only played twice and won at Pebble and was T-17th at Genesis.  The only other player to watch in Florida is Daniel Berger, who was T-2nd at Phoenix and 12th at the Genesis.

…Those who didn’t play well

Now, here are the players that we thought would do better but disappointed us:

• Collin Morikawa – After finishing runner-up at the Sentry, was T-17th at Pebble and Genesis.
• Sungjae Im – After finishing 3rd at Sentry and T-4th at Farmers, was T-33rd at Pebble, T-57th at Phoenix, and missed the cut at Genesis.
• Sam Burns – After T-8th at Sentry, his best finish in four starts since was T-22nd at Pebble.
• Robert MacIntyre – Was T-6th at Phoenix but struggled in his other four starts.
• Will Zalatoris – is still looking for the magic he had before hurting himself at the 2023 BMW; in four starts, his best finish was T-12th at Amex.
• Nick Dunlap – In six starts, only one top 30 finish, T-10th at Sony Open.
• Wyndham Clark – In five starts, there were only two top 30 finishes, T-15th Sentry and T-16th at Phoenix.
• Sahith Theegala – In six starts, only one top 35 finish, T-17th at Genesis.
• Tom Kim – In five starts only one top 40 finish, T-7th at Pebble.

The really bad

• Viktor Hovland – In four starts (including a missed cut at Dubai), the best finish was T-22nd at Pebble.
• Max Homa – In five starts, missed two missed cuts and a withdrawal, best finish T-26th, Sentry.
• Matt Fitzpatrick – In four starts, missed one cut, finished T-24th at Sentry.
• Rickie Fowler – In four starts, best finish T-21st at Amex.
• Patton Kizzire – Only made one cut in four starts, T-40th at Sentry.

Things you need to know about the Mexico Open

This may be called the fourth Mexico Open, but historically, the Mexico Open started in 1944. It takes the place of the WGC-Mexico Championship, which had a terrific four-year run at the Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico City. At that event, it was mostly locals from the city in the gallery, and it turned into a perfect event with a lot of community support.  Unfortunately, because of Covid, the event was moved to Florida in 2021 and was played for the last time.

The Mexico Open returns to the Greg Norman signature course at Vidanta Vallarta, a tourist community outside Puerto Vallarta. The event will be marketed towards those on vacation in Puerto Vallarta, which has many resorts and hotels dotting the beaches.

Course information:

• Vidanta Vallarta (Greg Norman Course)
• Vallarta, Mexico
• 7,456 yards     Par 35-36–71

The Greg Norman course at Vidanta Vallarta opened in 2016 but underwent many modifications to hold the event in 2022. The course winds along the American River and provides views of the Sierra Madre Mountains. It’s a par 71 course that will be played at 7,456. The course has a slope ranking of 143, and it is rated at 75.1 from the back tees. The course is accessed by the world’s longest golf cart suspension bridge, which is 560 feet long.

Last year, the scoring average of the event was 70.10 and ranked as the 33rd hardest course on the PGA Tour.

Now, the course is very demanding for mortals like you and me. But many birdies and eagles are made for the best players in the world. What makes the course challenging for you and me are the water hazards, large waste areas, and patches of indigenous vegetation. But the best players in the world will find a course with wide, inviting fairways and perfect playing conditions.

The greens have undulations on them, but they are in excellent shape and will be great for those who put them well. The biggest challenge for the players will be the wind; the course lies just a half mile away from the Pacific Ocean, so that will affect how the course is played. Last year, each day had winds over 10 mph with gusts up to 20 mph daily, but the scores were still low.

This year will be perfect. Temperatures will be in the high 80s with winds in the 8 to 9 mph range, and with firm, fast fairways, scores will again be super low.

The greens on the Greg Norman course range from average to huge, have plenty of slope and contour (including tiers and valleys) and are in excellent condition. Most are raised with false fronts, and all are well-guarded with 40 bunkers. If you miss a green, expect the ball to roll into a collection area. From there, you will be presented with how to get it up and down. Some will fly it to the pin, while others will bump and run it up. If you fly it to the pin, you will not get it right and have more problems. So, most of the time, you will see a player bump it onto the green and close to the hole.

In 2022, putting was important in Jon Rahm’s victory. He was 18th in Strokes Gained Putting but 4th in putting inside ten feet, making 63 of 67 attempts.

Ditto for Tony Finau winning in 2023. He was 8th in Strokes Gained putting and was T-11th in putting inside ten feet, making 63 of 68 attempts.

Last year’s winner, Jake Knapp, was not great at putting. He was 17th in Strokes Gained putting and T-26th in Putting inside ten feet. Knapp won the tournament with his tee-to-green game. He was 1st in Strokes Gained Approaching the green, 1st in Strokes Gained tee-to-green, and 1st in Strokes Gained total.

If we look at the players who lead Strokes Gained Putting for 2025 and are playing this week, #1 Will Chandler is playing along with #5 Mason Anderson, #6 Harry Hall, #7 Matthew Riedel, and #8 Kaito Onishi. The only problem with these folks is that the longest hitters of the five are Will Chandler, 42nd in driving distance, and Harry Hall, 67th.

A better way of gauging those in contention is to look for the longest drivers. These folks are in the top ten and playing this week: #2 Chris Gotterup, #3 Michael Thorbjornsen, #4 Jesper Svensson, #6 Kurt Kitayama, and #9 Trey Mullinax.

So, is the course hard enough for a marquee player to have the advantage of winning?

The two most prominent names won in its first two years: Jon Rahm in 2022 and Tony Finau in 2023.

Last year, Jake Knapp won, but there weren’t that many “marquee names” in the top ten. Robert MacIntyre was T-6th, but at the time, many didn’t think of him as “Marquee.”  So, the best “Marquee” finish was Tony Finau, who finished in the T-13th. Unfortunately, for the first time in three years, Finau isn’t playing.

The big problem is that there aren’t many marquee players on the field besides Akshay Bhatia, possibly Charley Hoffman and Padraig Harrington. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see a newcomer winning this week.

I wish I could give you a better way of choosing players, but it’s best to look at results from the three times it’s been played to see the trend on who to pick. The one player who pops up is Patrick Rodgers, who has three top-ten finishes: 10th in 2022 and ’23 and T-6th last year. Making Rodgers an even better pick, he was T-3rd at Genesis and is 83rd in driving distance for 2025 and 39th in 2024.

Along with looking for those bombers whose records on the PGA Tour could be better but play well on courses where distance is essential, you have to remember a player who has struggled on tour. An example of this is someone like Kurt Kitayama. He hits the ball a long way and has been playing in the Mexico Open for just the second time. In his first one in 2022, he was T-2nd; Kitayama won the 2023 Arnold Palmer but hasn’t contended since then. He was 5th at the Zozo Championship last October, and for 2025, his best finish is T-27th at the Sony Open.

The Mexico Open will resemble these events, which are also played along the ocean and have the elements of wind. So look at the Bermuda Championship, World Wide Technology Championship, Puerto Rico Open, and Corales Puntacana Championship to see how players performed on those courses; it will show up this week. You will see no rhyme or reason in choosing winners, and basically, the players who will play well find some secret in the days before the start of the event.

Let’s take a look at vital stats that are important for those playing at Vidanta Vallarta

This is based on the most important stats for Vidanta Vallarta, based on data from last year’s Mexico Open, and data from all the players in the field with stats from this season.
It is essential to know that this course looks tough on TV, and it is. For mortals like you and I, the course is very demanding. But for the best players in the world, we saw a lot of birdies and eagles in the event’s three-year history. What makes the course challenging for you and me are the water hazards, large waste areas, and patches of indigenous vegetation. For the best players in the world, they will find a course with wide, inviting fairways and perfect playing conditions. Of all the courses on the PGA Tour, this is the one course (along with the Plantation Course at Kapalua) that bombers have a significant advantage on. Of all the courses on the PGA Tour, those in the Mexico Open field get on the tee and flair at it to try and hit it as long as possible. You won’t see a short hitter win on this course; they are disadvantaged. The biggest challenge for the players this week will be the wind; the course lies just a half mile away from the Pacific Ocean, so that will affect how the course is played.
Last year, the field’s scoring average was 70.07, so with par being 71, the average score was about a shot under par, making the course in the middle of difficulties on the PGA Tour
Here is a look at the scoring average of the Mexico Open for the three years it’s been played:
2023 – The average was 70.07, making it the 21st hardest of the 50 courses for the year
2023 – The average was 70.10, making it the 33rd hardest of the 55 courses for the year
2022 – The average was 70.32, making it the 24th hardest of the 50 courses for the year

For the players, spotting iguanas is part of the fun while you keep an eye on the crocodiles sunning in the neighboring sanctuary.
For the average player, water plays on 15 of the 18 holes. But for the best players in the world, water will come into play on 11 holes: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,11, 14, and 17. The secret of playing well will be in the shots into the greens and being able to make a lot of 10-foot putts. One thing to remember about the 18 holes at Vidanta Vallarta is that only two holes are dogleg, the 1st and the 3rd. For the rest of the holes, drives aren’t restricted by doglegs, which allows players to hit it hard and far. Of the holes bordered by water, you can always bail out to the opposite side and have a shot to the green, so our first category is Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee, in which driving distance helps determine the number of strokes either gained or lost.
Long hitters have a significant advantage; Last year, the average drive of all drives at Vidanta Vallarta was 297.2 as the course ranked 29th out of the 41 courses tracked in 2023.

The previous year, the average drive of all drives at Vidanta Vallarta was 299.1 as the course ranked T-33rd out of the 41 courses tracked in 2023.

For 2022 the average drive of all the drives at Vidanta Vallarta was 296.6, and the course ranked 24th of the 36 courses that tracked drives in 2022.
2024 – Winner Jake Knapp averaged 306.5 yards on all the holes during the Mexico Open, ranked T-9th in the field, and was 11th in Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee. For 2024, Knapp averaged 295.2 yards on all his drives for the year, which ranked 2nd, and he was 64th for 2023 in Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee.
2023 – Winner Tony Finau averaged 307.6 yards on all the holes during the Mexico Open, ranked 17th in the field, and was 2nd in Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee. For 2023, Finau averaged 305.7 yards on all his drives for the year, which ranked 10th, and he was 17th for 2023 in Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee.
2022 – Winner Jon Rahm averaged 317.6 yards on all the holes during the Mexico Open, ranked 3rd in the field and was 3rd in Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee. For 2022, Rahm averaged 301.0 yards on all his drives for the year, which ranked 8th, and he was 16th for 2022 in Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee.

Our second category is Proximity to the hole, which is the average distance the ball comes to rest from the hole (in feet) after the player’s approach shot from the fairway.
2024 – Vidanta Vallarta ranked 35th in Greens in Regulation as the average shot from the fairway finished 43 feet, five inches from the hole, as Vidanta Vallarta ranked 3rd in Proximity to hole.
As for winner Jake Knapp, he was T-5th in Greens in Regulation as the shot finished 38 feet, 5 inches to the hole, which was 12th in Proximity to hole.
2023 – Vidanta Vallarta ranked 28th in Greens in Regulation as the average shot from the fairway finished 43 feet, nine inches from the hole, as Vidanta Vallarta ranked 2nd in Proximity to hole.
As for winner Tony Finau, he was T-3rd in Greens in Regulation as the shot finished 37 feet to the hole, which was 4th in Proximity to hole.
2022 – Vidanta Vallarta ranked 26th in Greens in Regulation as the average shot from the fairway finished 43 feet, ten inches from the hole, as Vidanta Vallarta ranked 1st in Proximity to hole.
As for winner Jon Rahm, he was T-7th in Greens in Regulation as the shot finished 40 feet, two inches to the hole, which was 19th in Proximity to hole.

Our third category is Par 5 scoring average. There are four par 5s at Vidanta Vallarta, with two playing over 600 yards. Despite that, all will be accessible in two, and the winner must play these four holes in at least 10 under. But as you will see, one player broke that rule.
2024 – Vidanta Vallarta ranked T-19th in par 5 scoring average (out of 49 courses) as the scoring average on the four par 5s was 4.61.
As for winner Jake Knapp, he played the par 5s in just 5 under, which ranked T-51st for the week. (Erik Van Rooyen was the best, he played par 5s in 12 under). Knapp played the par 3s in 6 under and the par 4s in 8 under, both were the lowest for that category.
2023 – Vidanta Vallarta ranked T-34th in par 5 scoring average (out of 58 courses) as the scoring average on the four par 5s was 4.60.
As for winner Tony Finau, he played the par 5s in 12 under, which, along with two other players, was 2nd best in the field (Akshay Bhatia played par 5s in 13 under).
2022 – Vidanta Vallarta ranked T-32nd in par 5 scoring average (out of 50 courses) as the scoring average on the four par 5s was 4.62.
As for winner Jon Rahm, he played the par 5s in 12 under along with one other player as Rahm and Davis Riley led the field in Par 5s.

Our last category is Par Breakers because the course does give up a lot of birdies and eagles
2024 – 1,542 birdies were made (32nd hardest) and 43 eagles (T-31st) as 22.58% of the holes played under par, making it the 29th hardest of the 50 courses that year
Winner Jake Knapp made 25 birdies (Most) but had no eagles as 34.72% of the holes played under par as he ranked 1st in Par Breakers.
2023 – 1,733 birdies were made (46th hardest) and 43 eagles (T-45th) as 22.73% of the holes played under par, making it the 39th hardest of the 58 courses that year
Winner Tony Finau made 27 birdies (Most) but had no eagles as 37.50% of the holes played under par as he ranked T-1st in Par Breakers.
2022 – 1,698 birdies were made (40th hardest) and 52 eagles (42nd) as 22.35% of the holes played under par, making it the 32nd hardest of the 50 courses that year
Winner Jon Rahm made 20 birdies (T-9th) and had one eagle as 29.17% of the holes played under par as he ranked T-7th in Par Breakers.

So what was the secret of the Mexico Open’s three winners, and how did they win?

2024: Jake Knapp played in the Mexico Open for the first time. He was able to show perfection as he led the Strokes Gained Approach-the-Green, Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green, and Strokes Gaine Total. Knapp had a good combination of hitting the ball long at 306.5 for all drives, ranking T-9th, was T-28th in accuracy off the tee, and T-5th in hitting 55 of 72 greens, ranking T-5th. As we said before, Knapp was the best on the par 3s (6 under) and on the par 4s (8 under). Putting was pretty averaged as he was 17th in Strokes Gained Putting. In putts from 4 to 8 feet, he made 12 of 14, ranking T-7th.

2023: Tony Finau was runner-up to Jon Rahm a year ago, but the results were reversed this year. Finau, who opened with rounds of 65-64-65, held a two-shot lead heading into the final round. On Sunday, Finau shot a bogey-free, 5-under 66 to win by three shots over Rahm. For the week, Finau was 1st in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green, 2nd in Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee, and T-3rd in Greens in Regulation. Finau will also look at his short putting as a key; in 61 putts from seven feet and under, Finau only missed one putt.

2022: Jon Rahm came into the week not only as the highest-ranked player in the field that only attracted five of the top-35 in the world, but in his opening round 64, he showed he was up to the hype, and he led after the 2nd and 3rd rounds with a 66-69. Rahm coasted in the final round, only making third birdies and one bogey as he could outlast the field to win by a shot over Tony Finau, Brandon Wu, and Kurt Kitayama.

So here are our four choices for the most critical stats from players to do well at Vidanta Vallarta:

*Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: The number of strokes a player takes from a specific distance off the tee on Par 4 & par 5’s is measured against a statistical baseline to determine the player’s strokes gained or lost off the tee on a hole. The sum of the values for all holes played in a round minus the field average strokes gained/lost for the round is the player’s Strokes gained/lost for that round.

Par 5 scoring average: There are four par 5s, with two playing over 600 yards. Despite that, all are accessible in two, and the winner must play these four holes in at least 10 under.

*Proximity to Hole: The average distance the ball comes to rest from the hole (in feet) after the player’s approach shot from the fairway.

*Par Breakers: Vidanta Vallarta has always been a pushover for the best players in the world. The field seems to make a lot of birdies and eagles as the course has a very low Par Breaker total.

99 of the 132 Players from this year’s field with stats from 2025:

Click any column title in the table header to sort columns.

DraftKings Picks

*Here are the guys that cost the most on DraftKings this week:

• Akshay Bhatia – $10,700
• Kurt Kitayama – $10,200
• Rasmus Hojgaard – $10,100
• Sam Stevens – $9,800
• Stephan Jaeger – $9,600
• Patrick Rodgers – $9,500
• Aaron Rai – $9,400
• Harry Hall – $9,300
• Michael Kim – $9,200
• Beau Hossler – $9,100
• Taylor Moore – $9,000

Before we start this week’s Mexico Open, it’s important to note that we have very little information on past results (just three years), so we need more data on who plays the course well. Only half of the players have seen Vidanta Vallarta before this week (55 making their debut at the event), so it’s safe to say that everyone is on equal terms on course knowledge. Remember that last year’s champion, Jake Knapp, was playing in his first Mexico Open last year.

My best advice is to take the week off and prepare for next week’s Cognizant Classic, which will have a great field.

Besides Akshay Bhatia, Charley Hoffman, and Padraig Harrington, this week has few marquee players, so all players’ values are wildly skewed. Frankly, of the 11 players listed above, I am only comfortable with about half of them.  So my best advice is, Instead of looking for winners in an entire field of 132 players, you should think that if you pick six that make the cut, you will win money.

Our first player, Akshay Bhatia – $10,700; a lot of money for a person who doesn’t hit it that long and has had just one good finish in 2025, T-9th last week at the Genesis.  One thing he has going for him, he finished 4th in 2023 but his cost chokes me.

Kurt Kitayama at $10,200 I can see, he hits it long was T-2nd in his only Mexico start in 2022, has all of the right stats.  He hasn’t played great in 2025, but this course is perfect for his game.

Rasmus Hojgaard at $10,100, is a very good player, but I will not risk such a high price for a guy whose stats don’t fit the golf course.  They did play well at Phoenix, finishing T-12th, but again, the price is too high.

Sam Stevens at $9,800 could be a good choice, he played well at the Farmers finishing 2nd.  He missed the cut at Mexico Open last year, despite his great Farmer’s finish that is not enough to spend $9,800 on him.

Stephan Jaeger at $9,600 does make some sense. He was T-3rd last year and has a T-18th in 2023 and T-15th in 2022, so he likes the course. He seems to play well on water. He was T-3rd at the Sony. He doesn’t hit it a ton, but he has enough power for this course.

Patrick Rodgers at $9,500 is my main choice, I like how well he has played at Vidanta, he was T-6th last year and 10th in 2023 & ’22.  His game has been getting in shape, he was T-3rd last week at the Genesis.

Aaron Rai at $9,400 doesn’t hit it far, but hits it straight.  He hasn’t played that great at Vidanta and has struggled in 2025, he was T-15th at Sentry, but his next best finish is T-37th, best to pass on him.

Harry Hall at $9,300 is worth a peak, yes was T-10th at Vidanta in 2023 and has the right stats as he is good from tee to green and plays well on par 5s.

Michael Kim at $9,200 is a no for me. He was T-2nd at Phoenix and T-13th at the Genesis, but I don’t think he can carry it over to this week.

Beau Hossler at $9,100, was T-10th at Vidanta last year, so the course suits his game.  He has played ok this year, and I think he will do well this year.

Taylor Moore at $9,000, is on my bubble. He is playing well in 2025 but missed the Mexico Open cut last year, so flip a coin on him.

*Players in that $7,500 to $8,900 price range, which ones are worth the money?:

Alex Smalley, at $8,700, is worth a look. Yes, he missed the cut twice in Mexico but was T-6th in 2022. I like how well he has played in 2025, and he has been just a round from perfection each week.

Jake Knapp at $8,600, has the memories of last year; he hasn’t played great since but has shown some good moments.

Justin Lower at $8,500 is worth the price; he was T-3rd last year at Vidanta and has played well in 2025, including a T-3rd at the Amex.  I like how his game and stats shot the course, a perfect pick.  Another good pick is

C.T. Pan at $8,300, was T-3rd last year in Mexico and has all the correct stats.

Ryan Fox at $8,000 is worth the gamble. He plays well in the wind and on courses like Vidanta.

Andrew Putnam at $7,800, is the type of player who plays well at Vidanta.  He has been ok in 2025, and was T-25th in his last start at Phoenix.

Carson Young at $7,700, has played well at Vidanta, and was T-8th last year.  He has struggled a bit in 2025, but I think this week will be up his alley.  

Erik Van Rooyen at $7,500 is worth the money.  He was T-8th last year, but the course suits his game, and despite struggling in 2025, look for a good week from him.

Some of the “bargains” this week at the Mexico Open

This is a tricky category because there aren’t many “bargains.”

I like the stats on Sam Ryder at $7,400.  He has played consistently in 2025 making all his cuts.  Playing in Vidanta for the first time.

Aldrich Potgieter at $7,300 is a great pick, this guy hits it a mile and the course will be perfect for him.

Lanto Griffin at $7,300, is a very conservative pick, and he makes a lot of cuts, but he will do okay for you.

Trey Mullinax, at $7,100, is also a guy you should take because he will make the cut.  The best 2025 finish was T-18th and was T-24th at Vidanta in 2022.

Thriston Lawrence at $7,000 is a great talent playing terribly right now.  Most of his poor play is trying to play in both Europe and the United States, think this is a good event for him to break through.

Emiliano Grillo at $7,000, has made three cuts at Vidanta, and was T-5th in 2023.  He has struggled in 2025, but I think the course will bring the best out of him.

Will Chandler at $6,700, got into this week thanks to Monday qualifying at Phoenix and finishing T-6th.  The big question will be if he can carry over the good play to this week.

Here are some of the secrets of what it takes to play well at the Mexico Open:

The key stat for the winner:

• Lots of patience to learn the course and will take a lot of patience in which birdies and eagles will be easy to make. This doesn’t happen much on the PGA Tour, but they could take apart this course if the weather is good.

Another key:

• The ability to hit it long and straight could be the way to winning this event.
• The greens are very demanding. Because they are hard, balls bounce off them and give players challenging pitches in which they either have to bump and run them to the pin or fly them to the pin.
• Last, we have to talk about the weather. The course hasn’t seen rain in weeks, so that it will be hard and firm. But looking at the weather forecast, every day will be picture-perfect, with sunny skies and temperatures in the high-80s. Winds will come off the ocean at 8 mph, so look for excellent scoring conditions.