A four-time winner on Tour already this season, including his green jacket victory at Augusta earlier this month, Jon Rahm returns as the prohibitive favorite to successfully defend his title at the Mexico Open at Vidanta . Played in some form as the country’s national championship since 1944, last year’s edition was the first sanctioned by the PGA Tour with a full allotment of FedExCup points and a nice paycheck to the winner. Runner-up to Rahm last year, Tony Finau faces the same fate as the second favorite. Wyndham Clark is the only other player with shorter than 20/1 odds. A full field of over 130 golfers will descend on the Greg Norman-designed Vidanta Vallarta, which is scheduled to host for the next two years. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete updated list of betting odds when you’re ready to place a wager.
Odds to Win Mexico Open at Vidanta
Jon Rahm +260
Tony Finau +850
Wyndham Clark +1900
Gary Woodland +2400
Nicolai Hojgaard +2400
Patrick Rodgers +2800
Byeong Hun An +3200
Stephan Jaeger +3600
Beau Hossler +3800
Taylor Pendrith +4100
Alex Noren +4700
Maverick Mcnealy +4700
Joseph Bramlett +4700
Emiliano Grillo +5500
Aaron Rai +5500
Andrew Putnam +5500
Lee Hodges +6000
Ben Martin +6500
Brandon Wu +6500
Luke List +6500
Alex Smalley +6500
Harry Hall +6500
Will Gordon +7000
S.H. Kim +7500
Robby Shelton +7500
Garrick Higgo +7500
Matt Wallace +7500
Mark Hubbard +7500
Lanto Griffin +9000
Patton Kizzire +9000
David Lipsky +9000
Chez Reavie +9000
MJ Daffue +9000
Dylan Wu +9000
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Odds Analysis
Tony Finau +850
There isn’t much value backing Rahm at his price despite being the hottest player on Tour. So instead I’ll do the next best thing and back Finau at a better price. He’s been playing solid golf all season with only one MC in 12 starts but he has just on finish among the top 20 in his last five stroke-play events. He performed well here last year closing with a 63 to finish one shot off the lead and I can see a better finish in his future. He followed his only MC with a win at the Houston Open showing the ability to go low.
Beau Hossler +3800
He doesn’t immediately stand out as a top pick, but the way Hossler has been playing he’s certainly worth the risk at his price. He’s not a banger which you would think is a potential negative on this course. But it actually isn’t and given Hossler’s accuracy off the tee and his touch with the putter, I have to think he has a shot. He ranks as one of the best in the field with the flat stick and taking advantage of the generous greens will move him up the leaderboard.
Taylor Pendrith +4100
There isn’t much to suggest Pendrith will get his first Tour victory this week, but the beauty of golf is that you just never know. Some of his best results have come on similar courses and the resort layout should be to his liking. The strength of his game has been accuracy off the tee, something that will come in handy in Mexico. And if the other areas are just a bit better I can see the Canadian making a run.
Gary Woodland +2400
Experiencing the layout last year will help and Woodland brought home a top 25. He has some momentum leading up to this week going T14-T31 in his last two starts. He’s also one of the best on Tour in strokes gained: off-the-tee, which is a huge stat on this particular course with nine of the top 15 finishers last year ranking in the top 10 in that category.
Brandon Wu +6500
A longshot last year Wu nearly escaped with a win shooting 63 in the final round to finish with a share of second. He’s 13 for 19 this season with ups and downs along the way, but getting back to the site of one of his finest performances should be a spark. He matched the course record with a closing 63 a year ago.
Course: Vidanta Vallarta – 7,456 yards, Par 71
At nearly 7,500 yards, Vidanta Vallarta is a relatively long par 71. Making its debut on Tour last season was the first time many in the field experienced the layout, though that wasn’t much of an issue. Rahm finished 17-under to win by one swing over a trio of players that included Rahm and Brandon Wu, who each closed with a 63. Prior to the arrival of the PGA Tour the course underwent a major overhaul with close to 200 additional yards, new and reworked bunkers and a reduced par from 73 to 71. It is a resort course and offered little resistance to the top players last year. The main defense is water, which comes into play on 11 holes, and over 100 bunkers could be troublesome. Positioning off the tee was crucial last year with Rahm second in the field in strokes gained: off-the-tee.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel, CBS
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