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With no members of the world’s top 20 in attendance at this week’s Mexican Open at Vidanta Vallarta, there could be betting opportunities aplenty with strong odds for the tournament that begins on Thursday, February 22.
The par 71, 7,456-yard course, ranks 33rd in course difficulty on the PGA Tour with an average round score of 70.097 (.903 under par), with America's Tony Finau the defending champion after recording a tournament record score of 260 (24 under par) 12 months ago.
Finau (7/1) is also the highest ranked player heading into the 2024 event - he's currently 24th in the world according to the Official Golf World Rankings. The 34-year-old has been consistent on the PGA Tour without challenging for victories this season – he has made five cuts in five tournaments with a single top-10 finish (6/1 E/W paying 1-10) at the Farmers Insurance Open in January.
The American has carded just one over par score in 19 rounds this campaign and ranks 19th in birdie average (5.1 per round) and 10th in greens hit in regulation (75.19%), but an improvement in his putting statistics would certainly boost his hopes of a tournament retention here.
In addition to his first-place finish, Finau was one of three runners-up in the 2022 event, carding a –16 under par tournament score.
This is just the third time the tournament has formed part of the main PGA Tour, and the event is beginning to attract a higher calibre field – 2023 Ryder Cup competitors Robert MacIntrye and Nicolai Hojgaard will be eyeing a hefty chunk of the $8,100,000 prize fund.
MacIntyre (125/1), ranked 68th in the world, has endured an extremely disappointing start to 2024 with a tied-52nd result at the Sony Open in Hawaii followed by three consecutive missed cuts.
Hojgaard (18/1), meanwhile, is 33rd in the world and finished second at the Farmers Insurance Open in January. He also boasts a pair of Top 40 finishes since that performance. Statistically, the Dane has been above average across the board in 2024, without excelling in any one discipline.
Looking at the rest of the field, American Hayden Springer (200/1) has certainly produced in some parts of his game in 2024. The 27-year-old Tour rookie is currently ranked 416th in the world – 131st in the FedEx points rankings – but is second on the PGA Tour in shots gained total (2.546) and first in shots gained putting (2.741).
He finished Tied-33rd at the Farmers Insurance Open – his first cut made in six career PGA Tour tournaments and should benefit from a plethora of the world's best players missing out in Mexico. A tournament win is unlikely, but if he can improve his approach play, he could certainly make it to rounds three and four.
