2024 Mexico Open: Power Rankings, Defending Champion, Prize Money, and Major Details

It’s the eighth event on the 2024 PGA Tour calendar! Yes, the much-anticipated Mexico Open is finally set to start on February 22 and will go on until the 25th of the month. The tournament would be played on the Vidanta Vallarta and is set to witness many top names in the golfing world teeing it up for the title of champion and other rewards.

The event would see a total of 132 golfers duking it out for fame and glory. More importantly, they would be aiming for the winner’s cut from the $8.1 million prize pool, along with 500 FedEx Cup points set aside for the champ. But, in the end, only one athlete in the skilled group of golfers would be able to emerge victorious. Who could it be?

Top contenders for the Mexico Open

The field would include a lot of top players from the realm of golf, including its defending champion. In addition, there would be professionals who gained entry via a two-year exemption owing to winning an event on the circuit, career money, and sponsor exemptions, along with those from the top 70 on last season’s FedEx Cup points list. Thus, it becomes natural for the community to become curious about the favorites who might end up victorious.

1. Tony Finau: The 34-year-old won the 2023 edition of the Mexico Open with a 24-under 260, all the while raking in a whopping $1.386 million. Moreover, the American is currently the top-ranked athlete in the field at No. 24. Although he didn’t have a satisfying start to the year, the pro has managed to finish inside the top 20 for two of the five events he played in 2024, including a T19 at the Genesis Invitational and a T6 at the Farmers Insurance Open. He is undoubtedly a fan favorite to win the tournament.

2. Nicolai Højgaard: Currently placed at No. 34 on the OWGR, the Danish golfer is a true force to be reckoned with. In the five starts he had in 2024, he finished two times inside the top 10: a T7 at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and a T2 at the Farmers Insurance Open. What’s more, looking back at 2023, he has a total of 2 top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour.

3. Emiliano Grillo: The Argentine professional, in six starts on the Jay Monahan-led circuit, has finished three times inside the top 20. Interestingly, the best placement of the current world No. 40 comes from the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he finished seventh. In addition, the 32-year-old also placed T20 and T14 at the Farmers and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

4. Ryan Fox: Coming in at No. 41 on the OWGR is none other than the 2023 BMW PGA Championship winner. Fascinatingly, he was able to start off 2024 with a single top-15 finish in the four starts he made on both circuits. Moreover, the New Zealand golfer’s T14 came at the Dubai Invitational, which was a part of the European Tour. Regardless, he would be hoping to increase his tally of professional wins to 18 with a title at the Mexico Open.

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5. Padraig Harrington: Although the Irish professional is No. 268 on the Official World Golf Rankings, he is a common household name in the golfing community. With 6 PGAT wins, including 3 majors, the athlete has become a fan favorite to win the upcoming event. That’s not all; two 2023 PGA Tour Champions wins at Dick’s Sporting Goods Open and the TimberTech Championship, the latter of which came in November, do make him a player to look out for.

The challenging course at Vidanta, Mexico

The Vidanta Vallarta Course was designed by the Australian shark, Greg Norman, and has been awarded Renovation of the Year by Golf Inc. magazine in 2022. The grounds feature large undulating greens that are protected by huge bunkers, a beautiful view of the Sierra Madre mountains, and a wall-to-wall paspalum.

The 7,287-yard, par-73 course has a total of 55 bunkers and 6 lakes on its grounds. The unique layout is known for providing golfers with a challenge during their shots around the greens. Anyhow, the community can be sure of one thing, they are in for an exciting display of golf over the weekend in Mexico.

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