The PGA Tour is kicking off February the right way, heading to sunny Mexico while the U.S. faces harsh winter winds. Right now, simulators become the only way to play 18. Defending champion Jake Knapp leads the charge down to VidantaWorld, where $7 million and a spot in the Arnold Palmer Invitational are up for grabs at the 2025 Mexico Open.

Last year, Knapp claimed his first PGA Tour victory at Vidanta Vallarta, finishing with an even-par final round to beat Sami Valimaki by two strokes. And he’s coming off a solid start to the season, with a T-17 finish at the Genesis Invitational.

Akshay Bhatia, Matt McCarty, Joel Dahmen, Aaron Rai, Emiliano Grillo, Erik van Rooyen, Kevin Yu, and Blades Brown are all set to tee off in Mexico this week. This will be just his second professional start for Brown, even though he’s still a few months away from his 18th birthday. It’s shaping up to be an exciting week with a mix of seasoned pros and fresh talent! So, what is the format of the event?

The 2025 Mexico Open is played in a stroke play format over four days, with 72 holes (18 per day). The player with the lowest total score after all four rounds will be the winner. After 36 holes, a cut will be made, allowing only the top 65 players and ties to continue into the weekend rounds (Rounds 3 and 4). Players must maintain a pace of no more than 40 seconds per shot. A sudden-death playoff will be held in the event of a tie after the final round, typically starting at hole 18.

If a ball is hit out of bounds, the player receives a one-stroke penalty and must replay from the original spot. If a player declares their ball unplayable, they can drop it elsewhere with a one-stroke penalty.

Likewise, water hazards, sand traps, and other obstacles have designated drop areas for specific penalties. Hole 7 is a challenging par-3 with a water hazard, while hole 17, a tricky par-4, requires precise strategy. The long par-5 18th hole is a thrilling final challenge. To win, players must conquer these difficult holes and stay focused under pressure.

Exciting right? You can book your tickets to watch the match live at the Vidanta Villarta Golf Course. However, you can still witness all the action if you cannot make it to Mexico. That too in the comfort of your house.

Catch the 2025 Mexico Open on Golf Channel

Golf Channel will provide live coverage from Vidanta Vallarta Golf Course on Thursday and Friday, from 4-7 p.m. ET. On Saturday and Sunday, Golf Channel will air coverage from 1-3 p.m., with NBC/Peacock taking over from 3-6 p.m. For more coverage, sign up for ESPN+ to access PGA Tour Live and enjoy over 4,300 hours of tournament action.

Moreover, the PGA Tour Live streaming on ESPN+ will run from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. On the weekend, coverage will be from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Viewers can enjoy four separate streams—main feed, featured groups, marquee groups, and featured holes, along with a dedicated Spanish-language feed.

Who are you rooting for this weekend? Let us know in the comments section below!