The PGA Tour heads south for the Mexico Open as World No.1 Jon Rahm defends his title.
Last year, the Spaniard secured his seventh PGA Tour title by one shot to clinch his first win in almost 11 months. However, if Rahm entered that tournament in search of a return to form, this year, he arrives at Vidanta Vallarta in very different circumstances.
Since that victory a year ago, Rahm has amassed six more wins worldwide including his second Major, The Masters, which he won at Augusta National earlier in the month. This week, there is every chance he will add yet another victory in an astonishing 2023 as he will begin as comfortable favourite.
One player who may have something to say about that is one of the three who finished within a shot of Rahm 12 months ago. World No.16 Tony Finau hasn’t won since last November’s Houston Open, but he will feel he has a chance this week, if he can finish ahead of Rahm.
Elsewhere in the field are a handful of other players in the world’s top 100. Alex Noren is currently ranked World No.50, and he is looking for his first win on the PGA Tour. Beneath him in the rankings are World No.68 Andrew Putnam, World No.80 Gary Woodland and the two players directly beneath him, Wyndham Clark and Maverick McNealy. World No.92 Emiliano Grillo completes the list of the top 100 in the field.
Meanwhile, beyond Rahm, another recent former champion is local hero Alvaro Ortiz. However, his 2021 victory came when the event was on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica, so he is faced with a very different prospect if he is to triumph again this week.
Others to look out for include rising Danish star Nicolai Hojgaard, who will be hoping to build on the runner-up finish he achieved in last month’s Corales Puntacana Championship. The player who beat him that week, Matt Wallace, is also in action as the World No.115 looks to continue his ascent up the world rankings that was also helped by a tie for seventh in last month’s Valspar Championship at the Copperhead Course.
However, considering the relatively weak field and his amazing form over the last 12 months, it is hard to look beyond Rahm as the likely winner this week.
Players are competing for a $7.7m purse, an increase of $400,000 on 2022. Of that, the winner will earn $1.386m.
Below is the full prize money breakdown and field for the 2023 Mexico Open.
Mexico Open Prize Money 2023
| Position | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 1st | $1,386,000 |
| 2nd | $839,300 |
| 3rd | $531,300 |
| 4th | $377,300 |
| 5th | $315,700 |
| 6th | $279,125 |
| 7th |
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