This week brings a new-look event on the PGA Tour: the Mexico Open, hosted by the Norman (yes, that Norman) Signature Course at Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta.
This par-71 course has undergone some recent modifications and will play to a hefty 7,456 yards. The landing areas are wider than tour average, so bombers will have an even bigger advantage this week than they usually do. The turf is wall-to-wall paspalum, which means we should see less roll off the tee and slightly slower green speeds than normal. So if you are looking for metrics to target, I would focus on driving distance and iron play.
Here are a few players who thrive in those categories:
Gary Woodland $9,900
Woodland is a great option for the Mexico Open. He is arguably in the best form of anyone in the field, having finished eighth or better in three of his past six starts. In my model, he ranks fifth in approach, 11th in driving distance, 13th in birdies, and second overall. He has gained strokes on approach in six straight events. Given that Woodland’s relative shortcomings off the tee have to do with accuracy rather than distance, the Norman course should be a good fit for him. He has also had substantial success on paspalum, finishing runner-up once at Mayakoba and twice at the CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur.
Mark Hubbard $8,000
For the average golf fan, Hubbard is likely to go under the radar, as he has been bouncing between the PGA and Korn Ferry tours this year. But he has shown remarkable consistency in all types of events because of his iron play: he is eighth in the Mexico Open field in approach. Hubbard has finished 12th or better in all four of his KFT starts in 2022, and in his past five PGA Tour appearances, he has placed inside the top 40 four times. In a lackluster field like this week’s, finding someone playing that well at this price is gold.
Patrick Flavin $6,500
Flavin has been Mr. Monday Qualifier, putting together some spectacular rounds to get into events. Right now, he is fighting for status and potentially for position in the KFT Finals later this year. In the 2021-22 season, he has played in three PGA Tour events and finished 17th, 22nd, and 54th. At $6,500, Flavin is a great option that allows you to spend big elsewhere.