The PGA Tour will return to its standard stroke play format for the second annual Mexico Open at Vidanta this week. However, players competing in the field will head south of the border to Vallarta, Mexico, to compete on the beautiful shores of the Vidanta Vallarta course. Last year, Jon Rahm earned his only outright win by one stroke at -17-under-par, holding off Tony Finau and Brandon Wu’s scorching -8-under-par closing rounds. It’s a lot different for the Spaniard in 2023, as Rahm has already earned four outright wins in just 11 events, including winning his first Green Jacket at The Masters earlier in the month.
Of course, Rahm is priced the highest in DraftKings and FanDuel DFS contests this week, as the field is a bit lighter than the events we’ve seen recently, which means Rahm is now $12,000 on DraftKings and $12,600 on FanDuel. If you want the World’s No. 1 golfer, especially defending his title at a new event, you’re going to have to pay a premium to land him in your lineups. Other notable players include Tony Finau and Wyndham Clark, with a ton of value to acquire in the $8,000 - $9,600 range on DraftKings and the $9,000 - $10,000 range on FanDuel.
After analyzing the Mexico Open slate, I’ve identified a few of my favorite players that can help us cash our DFS lineups at Vidanta. Let’s find out why each golfer should be prioritized in lineups ahead of Thursday’s opening tee times from the Western shores of Vallarta, Mexico.
Before we get into our Mexico Open DFS Picks and Targets, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. You can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your 2023 Mexico Open selections this week.
DraftKings $50,000 Maximum Salary
Tony Finau ($10.7K)
Jon Rahm is simply too expensive to roster in DFS on this slate. Instead, let’s opt for Tony Finau, who has flown under the radar for most of 2023 despite recording three T10 finishes and nine T25s in 12 events. Finau was dialed in on Sunday at Vidanta a year ago and went -3-under-par or lower after opening with an even round here last year. He’s ranked fourth in total strokes gained, including first approaching the green, and fifth tee-to-green, while his putter is an asset instead of a liability. I’m comfortable recommending Finau as the top blue-chip prospect to acquire on DraftKings.
Patrick Rodgers ($9.3K)
Another golfer who fared well during the inaugural Mexico Open event in 2022 was Patrick Rodgers. The 30-year-old American logged a tenth-place finish at -13-under-par in 2022. If he wouldn’t have had his highest scoring round (-1-under-par) during the final round at Vidanta, Rodgers would’ve been positioned to steal the win from Rahm. Alas, Rodgers is back in 2023, and he has all the makings of a quality prospect in DFS lineups. He’s ranked 33rd in total strokes gained, including 24th around the green, while performing well enough to rank 41st in strokes gained tee-to-green and off-the-tee. Plus, Rodgers is rounding into form lately, logging a fifth-place finish at Valero and a T19 finish at RBC Heritage, so tail his momentum and secure Rodgers as a quality addition in lineups this week.
Stephan Jaeger ($8.2K)
Stephen Jaeger is another golfer who had a nice outing at Vidanta in 2022. The 33-year-old German only has one T10 finish through 16 events this season on the PGA Tour, but his skill set aligns nicely with the rigors at Vidanta. Jaeger is ranked fourth in consecutive greens in regulation, 11th in Round 1 scoring average, and 14th in strokes gained around the green. A fast start at -2-under-par set the stage for Jaeger to make the cut last year, and he delivered a resounding -7-under-par performance in the third round to climb into the T15. At just $8.2K on DraftKings, we’re landing a ton of value with Jaeger, so plug him into lineups with confidence.
FanDuel $50,000 Maximum Salary
Byeong Hun An ($11.1K)
Byeong Hun An is set to make his debut at Vidanta this week, and he’s had plenty of time off to prepare for it. The 31-year-old South Korean is playing some of his best golf lately, logging a T6 finish at Valero during his last solo event while leaning on his iron play to stay near the top of the leaderboards. An is ranked first in strokes gained around the green, 34th tee-to-green, and eighth in driving distance. While An has difficulty finding the greens in regulation, he’s ranked 44th in scrambling, which is why he’s the best player on the Tour when it comes to gaining strokes around the green. He’s priced a bit higher than normal due to the lighter field, but I like his outlook ahead of Thursday’s opening round.
Andrew Putnam ($10.5K)
Last year, Andrew Putnam failed to make the cut at Vidanta, but he’s been playing better lately, albeit still finishing outside of the top 25. Finishes of T28 and T59 at Valero and the RBC Heritage aren’t the best. Still, these were loaded fields in comparison to the depth at Vidanta, so Putnam stands a better chance of securing his fourth T10 finish in his 19th event played this season. Putnam is ranked seventh in bogey avoidance, eighth in scrambling, and performs nicely when on the greens, ranking 13th in strokes gained putting. He is ranked 56th around the green and 48th approaching the green, so he can rely on his irons to get him positioned for success. It’s a bit of a risk at $10.5K, but Putnam offers stability due to being the eighth-best scrambler on the PGA Tour.
Akshay Bhatia ($9K)
Akshay Bhatia has cooled off after impressing at the Puerto Rico Open with a runner-up finish, but that won’t stop me from recommending him in DFS at Vidanta this week. The 21-year-old American missed the cut at RBC Heritage but had previous finishes of T24 at the Corales Puntacana Championship and a T46 at Valero, so it’ll be interesting to see how he performs during his debut at Vidanta. Bhatia specializes in strokes gained approaching the green, ranking 28th on the PGA Tour, while also ranking 29th in total driving, which accounts for accuracy and distance. He’s a wizard with his irons from 50-150 yards out, ranking top-ten in all approach metrics while averaging 4.21 birdies per round. This is the currency to chase in DFS due to the 6x value assigned to birdies compared to par scores, making Bhatia one of my favorite salary-saving prospects on the Mexico Open slate.
