Preview

Starts: 22nd February 2024
Course: The Signature Course, Vidanta Villarta
Par: 71 
Length: 7,456 yards
2023 Champion: Tony Finau

PGA Tour Mexico Open Picks 2024

2024 Mexico Open Course Info

Designer: Greg Norman
Used Since: 2022
Fairways: Wide
Rough: Minimal
Greens: Paspalum, 12 on Stimp.
Water Hazards: On 13 holes, particularly on 6th & 7th
Par 5's: 6th, 12th, 14th and 18th
Premium on: Distance, strong wind players.
 

2024 Mexico Open Trends

Winning Score
Winning scores have been -17 and -24 in the two events played at Vidanta Vallarta.  

Course Form
This event has only been played for two years at Vidanta Vallarta so very little course form to go on.  However, many of the players who were in contention in 2022 were also in contention in 2023 (Jon Rahm, Tony Finau, Brandon Wu, Cameron Champ etc).  Course form is definitely advantageous but not necessarily essential.

World Ranking
Rahm was world number 2 and heavy favourite when winning in 2022.  Tony Finau was also heavily fancied when winning last year and was world number 16 the week he won.

Correlating Courses
Club de Golf Chapultepec which hosted the WGC Mexico Championship in 2017-2020 may be a handy guide as Rahm has two 3rd place finishes there. 

The World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba was the other event played in Mexico on tour, both are played on Paspalum grass and designed by Greg Norman but this week's course is more than 400 yards longer and more emphasis on distance over accuracy here. 

Age
With the exception of Tony Finau, the top four in each of the two Mexico Opens played at Vidanta Vallarta have been in their twenties.

2024 Mexico Open Trends Shortlist

Given there have been only two events held at Vidanta Vallarta, we do not have enough data to prepare a trends shortlist.

"It's a very long course, it's tough. It starts blowing and the greens are firm, so hitting a lot of par 4s with long irons is the key. Obviously being long like we saw last year is very important when Jon won and I think Cameron Champ was in the final group. Obviously there's an advantage for the long hitters, but you still have to hit it in the fairways and make putts." Nico Echavarria, 2023

2024 Mexico Open Stats Analysis

SG: Off The Tee
The top four in 2022 and 2023 all ranked inside the top 20 off the tee. 

Driving Distance
The top four in 2022 and 2023 all ranked inside the top 36 in driving distance. 

Driving Accuracy
Out of the top 10, only Jon Rahm and Brandon Wu were in the top 20 for driving accuracy in 2022.  Two of the top four in 2023 were inside the top 20 for Driving Accuracy. Accuracy off the tee isn't essential.

SG: Approach
Rahm ranked 30th for approach when winning in 2022 but five of the top ten were in the top 10 for approach that year.  Last year, only one (Akshay Bhatia) of the top four was inside the top 10 for SG: Approach.

SG: Around The Green
Out of the top 10 in 2022, only Tony Finau ranked inside the top 20 around the greens. Two of the top four in 2023 were in the top 20 for SG: Around The Green.

SG: Putting
Four of the top five ranked inside the top 10 for putting.  Everyone in the top four in 2023 ranked inside the top 10 for SG: Putting.

"I think this golf course requires a lot of shots between about 140 and 200. There's not a lot of wedges out there unless you get some holes downwind or something. That's why I kind of played good today, my iron play was good. I didn't stuff a lot of them, but I hit them on the right sides and made a couple 15-, 20-footers. They're big greens, you've kind of got to put them in the right spots to have a good look." Stephen Jaeger, 2023

2024 Mexico Open In Play Tips

Birdie Holes
The 7th is a driveable par 4, but water is in play so it's very much risk/reward.

Closing Stretch
16th is a 500+ yard par 4, 17th is 226 yard par 3 with water all on the left but the 548 yard 18th should offer a great birdie/eagle opportunity. 

Fast or Slow Start
Winners in 2022 and 2023, Jon Rahm and Tony Finau, both made fast starts (both were no worse than two shots behind the round one leader).  However, it is possible to get an each way place in this event having gotten off to a slower start.

"It (the wind)was hard, it certainly was. We were laughing about it. The par 5, I think it's 605, 610 yards and I hit a really good drive, but I hit 5-iron into that green on my second shot. And then No. 8 was a par-4 and I had 3-wood in on my second shot." Alex Smalley, 2023

Previous Mexico Open tips

You can access our historical Mexico Open picks and in-play blogs using the links below:

2023 Mexico Open Picks

2022 Mexico Open Picks 

2024 Mexico Open Tips