Following an exhilarating West Coast Swing, highlighted by Rory McIlroy’s win at Pebble Seashore and Ludvig Åberg’s dramatic victory in San Diego, the PGA Tour heads south of the border for the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld.
Most of the recreation’s high gamers have opted to take this week off, which is able to permit youthful PGA Tour stars and journeymen to shine. Look no additional than what occurred on the Mexico Open final yr, when Jake Knapp went from being a nightclub bouncer to a PGA Tour winner. Tournaments like this usually produce the perfect tales regardless of missing many family names and top-10 gamers. In addition they shine a lightweight on up-and-comers, gamers to observe for as time wears on.
A type of younger gamers is Akshay Bhatia, the 23-year-old American who gained final yr’s Valero Texas Open. Bhatia has not missed a lower in his 4 begins this season and arrives in Mexico recent off a T-9 at Torrey Pines.
Different notables embody Rasmus and Nicolai Højgaard, the latter of whom performed on the European Ryder Cup group in 2023. However Rasmus has acquired the perfect of his brother in latest months, as he broke McIlroy’s coronary heart on the Amgen Irish Open final September. Rasmus additionally posted a T-12 end on the WM Phoenix Open however missed final week’s lower at Torrey Pines. He struggled within the wind and rain on Thursday, posting a first-round 82, the worst spherical of his PGA Tour profession thus far. In the meantime, his brother Nicolai didn’t have the perfect seasons in 2024, however he did make the lower on the WM Phoenix Open, his solely PGA Tour begin to this point in 2025. Maybe he can proper the ship this week in Vallarta, Mexico.
Oddsmakers even have Kurt Kitayama and Patrick Rodgers among the many favorites this week. Kitayama has not had an incredible begin to the season, together with his finest outcome being a T-37 on the Sony Open in Hawaii.
Rodgers, however, entered Sunday’s last spherical at Torrey Pines holding a one-shot lead over Denny McCarthy. However the former Stanford standout may solely muster a 1-under 71, ending three strokes behind Åberg. Rodgers’ T-3 on the Genesis Invitational was his finest end of the season thus far, and he hopes to construct off that this week in Mexico. It’s price noting that Rodgers has made 286 profession stars on the PGA Tour, probably the most of any lively participant with a card. Possibly he’ll lastly get a break in Mexico.
Samuel Stevens, who performed collegiately at Oklahoma State, is one other participant who appears to construct on latest momentum. The 28-year-old completed solo second on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open after which posted a T-17 end at Pebble Seashore the next week. He has not missed a lower in all six of his begins in 2025, which incorporates final week’s Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines, the place he carded three rounds of 72 and a 1-under 71 to tie for thirty first.
Mexico Open Odds:
Listed here are the newest odds for gamers to win the 2025 Mexico Open, courtesy of FanDuel:
Akshay Bhatia +1400
Rasmus Højgaard +1800
Kurt Kitayama +2200
Patrick Rodgers +2200
Samuel Stevens +2200
Taylor Moore +2500
Michael Kim +2500
Stephan Jaeger +2500
Harry Corridor +3000
Aaron Rai +3300
Ben Griffin +3300
Beau Hossler +3500
Kevin Yu +3500
Alex Smalley +4000
Niklas Norgaard +4000
Jake Knapp +4000
Nicolai Højgaard +4000
C.T. Pan +5000
Matt Wallace +5500
Michael Thorbjornsen +6000
Thorbjorn Olesen +5500
Ryan Fox +6000
Erik Van Rooyen +6000
Greyson Sigg +6000
Jesper Svensson +6000
Patrick Fishburn +6000
Mac Meissner +6000
Aldrich Potgieter +7000
Justin Decrease +7000
Kevin Roy +7000
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Enjoying By means of’s Picks:
Jack Milko — Employees Author, Golf
One participant who continues to development in the fitting path is social media star Michael Kim, who performed his method into final week’s Genesis Invitational through the Aon Swing 5. After lacking the lower on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open, Kim shot 4 rounds within the 60s at TPC Scottsdale to tie for second on the WM Phoenix Open. He then tied for thirteenth at Torrey Pines final week, in what was the primary Signature Occasion of his profession.
Kim will preserve his momentum and win for the second time at VidantaWorld, a course that prioritizes distance and ball-striking. He’s not the largest of hitters, however he has sufficient size off the tee to maintain up with the perfect. He’s additionally a stable long-iron participant, rating among the many high 4 in approaching the inexperienced from 200 yards or extra on the PGA Tour in 2024. That may turn out to be useful this week as Kim breaks by way of for the primary time because the 2018 John Deere Basic.
FanDuel Odds: Kim to win at +2500
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By means of. Observe him on X @jack_milko.
