PGA Power Rankings: Top 5 Golfers For Mexico Open at Vidanta

PGA Power Rankings: Top 5 Golfers For Mexico Open at Vidanta

The PGA Tour heads south of the border into Mexico for the third annual edition of the Mexico Open at Vidanta.

Unlike last week, which was a Signature Event, the field at Vidanta will be much more raw, meaning most players aren't highly ranked on the PGA Tour. Tony Finau headlines the favorites since he's finished second and first in both previous editions. Other notables include Nicolai Højgaard, Stephen Jaeger, Emiliano Grillo, and Thomas Detry.

PGA handicapper Matt MacKay is here to share his latest power rankings, while giving a course overview, to help identify potential winners in the outright betting market ahead of Thursday's opening tee times from the beautiful shores of Vidanta in western Mexico.

MEXICO OPEN AT VIDANTA DATE, START TIME, AND WHERE TO WATCH

• Date: February 22 -25
• Where: Vidanta Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
• Where to Watch: ESPN+, Golf Channel, NBC

MEXICO OPEN AT VIDANTA COURSE

Vidanta Vallarta is a par 71 that contains three par 5s and five par 3s, stretching up to 7,456 yards. Over 100 sand bunkers guard the course, but wind and rain should be nearly non-existent this week, creating dry and fast conditions on the paspalum surface on the fairways and greens.

Putts are expected to measure 11 feet via Stimpmeter, which is a full foot shorter than the default speed seen on most PGA Tour courses. Rough stands a bit higher at 2.5 inches but there are is generous fairway width, allowing players who excel off-the-tee to flood their scorecard with birdies, assuming they avoid errant lies. Most of the sand bunkers are enormous situated around the greens, so players will need to do their best to avoid these traps on their approach shots.

MEXICO OPEN AT VIDANTA ODDS

MEXICO OPEN AT VIDANTA POWER RANKINGS

1. Tony Finau (+800) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS

Of course, we're starting with our sights on Tony Finau. His putter has been the main weak point in his game to start this season, however, Finau's ball-striking is among the best on the PGA Tour. Ranking 17th strokes gained off-the-tee and seventh in strokes gained on approach, there's a reason we've seen Finau dominate the field at this course in both previous editions of the Mexico Open at Vidanta. +800 isn't bad value to take considering these plus odds could flip to minus odds after a strong opening round.

2. Emiliano Grillo (+2500) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS

Grillo won for the first time in seven years in 2023, showing us he can get it done in crunch time. At Vidanta, Grillo had success in 2023, finishing T5 with a -16-under-par score. He went -3-under-par or better in every round, but it wasn't enough to catch Finau, who went -5-under-par or better in all four rounds. Grillo ranks 23rd in strokes gained putting and 27th in driving accuracy percentage, so he's worth a half unit wager in the outright betting market.

3. Thomas Detry (+2500) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS

31-year-old Belgian, Thomas Detry, is set to make his debut at Vidanta this week. We've seen Detry climb multiple leaderboards this season, but he has yet to pull off an outright win despite his best efforts. Detry could thrive at a course like Vidanta, relying on his 19th-ranked strokes gained off-the-tee to set him up for success, while brandishing a putter ranked 13th strokes gained. +2500 is fantastic value considering his strengths, so let's stake a quarter unit on Detry at +2500 odds.

4. Patrick Rodgers (+3300) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS

Patrick Rodgers has finished 10th both times he's competed at Vidanta. He has a powerful driver and hits greens in regulation consistently, ranking 11th with over a 75 percent conversion rate. Rodgers tends to start and finish strong, so if he can avoid a mid-round plateau, he could wind up contending at Vidanta on Sunday. +3300 is a nice number to acquire for Rodgers compared to the field in this event, so let's stake a quarter unit on +3300 in the outright betting market.

5. Nate Lashley (+8000) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS

One of the most enticing players available in the outright market below +4000 odds is Nate Lashley. The American wound up T11 at -12-under-par two years ago during the inaugural event at Vidanta, regressing to a T39 finish in 2023. However, Lashley has some quality metrics, including 20th in strokes gained around the green, while 43rd in strokes gained putting. Lashley ranks 18th in driving accuracy, 36th in sand save percentage, and 34th in one-putt percentage. It's only a quarter unit stake, but this would return a huge profit at +8000, which is a number we've seen win multiple times already at previous PGA Tour events in 2024.

GOLF ODDS

• Looking for Mexico Open at Vidanta odds? We got you covered!
• Who will be the winner of the Mexico Open? Get the latest odds here
• Looking for More Golf odds, including the DP World Tour? We've got you covered