PGA TOUR Preview

2024 Mexico Open Primer: History, TV, Field, Odds

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February 20, 2024

Tony Finau Mexico Open Primer — Tony Finau walks onto the 15th green during the final round of the Mexico Open at Vidanta on Apr 30, 2023 in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez via Getty Images)

The PGA Tour heads south of the dangerous U.S. border this week for the Mexico Open. On the tour’s 2024 schedule, the Mexico stop fills the calendar between the West Coast and Florida swings.

The long-running national championship of Mexico will feature a relatively weak field in 2024, with only defending champion Tony Finau (24) ranked in the watered-down OWGR top 25. Despite the weakness of the OWGR due to the banning of LIV golfers, the field still only includes four players inside its top 50, including Nicolai Hojgaard (34), Emiliano Grillo (40), and Ryan Fox (41).

As we do each week, here’s a roundup of information and data to get you prepped for a week of PGA Tour golf south of the border.

This week’s Primer is powered by Taylormade Golf.

PGA Tour Skinny

Tony Finau Wins 2023 Mexico Open — Tony Finau (L) is congratulated by Jon Rahm (R) after winning the Mexico Open at Vidanta on Apr 30, 2023 in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez via Getty Images)

Tournament: Mexico Open
Title Sponsor: Grupo Salinas
PGA Tour Debut: 2022
PGA Tour Week: 8th (of 34)
Dates: Feb. 22-25, 2024
Where: Vallarta, Mexico
Course: Vidanta Vallarta
Distance: Par 71, 7456 yards
Architect: Greg Norman (2015)
Format: 72-holes, stroke play
Purse: $8,100,000
Winning Share: $1,458,000
Defending Champion: Tony Finau

How to Follow the Mexico Open

TELEVISION: Thu-Fri: 3:30-6:30 p.m. (GOLF); Sat-Sun: 1-3 p.m. (GOLF), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)

PGA TOUR LIVE: Thu-Fri: 8:45 a.m.-6:30 p.m. (ESPN+); Sat-Sun: 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. (ESPN+)
Watch on ESPN+

PGA TOUR RADIO: Thu-Fri: 1-6:30 p.m.; Sat-Sun: 1-6 p.m.
(PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio)

LINKS: Web | Instagram | X | Facebook

Mexico Open History

Lee Trevino Mexican Open — Lee Trevino, shown here competing in 1975, was a two-time winner (1973 and 1975) of the Mexican Open. (Photo by Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

The roots of the Mexico Open date back to 1944 with PGA Tour pro Al Espinosa taking the first four editions. The famed Chapultepec course hosted fourteen of the tournament’s first 16 editions.

From 1944 through 2002 it was called the Mexican Open and was not associated with any tour. In 2003, it became part of the Tour de las Américas – the principal pro golf tour throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, superseded by PGA Tour Latinoamérica.

From 2008 through 2012 it was part of the PGA Tour’s major developmental tour (Nationwide and Web). In 2013 it became part of the PGA Tour Latinoamérica, formerly known as the aforementioned Tour de las Américas.

The Mexican-American Espinosa holds the record for the most Mexico Open wins with four. He’s followed by Argentinian legend Roberto De Vicenzo, who won three titles in a five-year span (1951, 1953, 1955).

Then world No. 1 Jon Rahm won the reboot edition in 2022.

Jon Rahm Wins 2022 Mexico Open — Jon Rahm and caddie Adam Hayes walk on the 18th green during the final round of the Mexico Open at Vidanta on May 1, 2022 in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. (Photo by Fernando de Dios via Getty Images)

Lee Trevino is the tournament’s most iconic champion. The “Merry Mex” is a two-time winner (1973, 1975) and the only player in history to win the national open championship of the United States (US Open), Canada (Canadian Open), Britain (British Open), and Mexico (Mexico Open).

Other two-time winners include Americans Tony Holguin (1949-50), Tony Lema (1961-62) and Stewart Cink (1996, 1999).

Ernesto Pérez Acosta (1970, 1976) is the only Mexican native to win multiple titles.

Phil Mickelson Wins WGC-Mexico — Phil Mickelson talks to TV host Inés Sainz of TV Azteca after winning the WGC-Mexico Championship in a playoff at Club De Golf Chapultepec on March 4, 2018 in Mexico City. Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

The new version of the Mexico Open also has bloodlines to the WGC-Mexico Championship as this was the tournament it replaced on the PGA Tour schedule. It was also initially retitled to the Mexico Championship, before deciding to take ownership of the Mexico Open’s history.

It’s also being managed and sponsored by Grupo Salinas, which ran the three editions of the WGC stop in Mexico at Chapultepec.

History: Tournament Names

Mexico Open (2022-24)
Abierto Mexicano de Golf (2018-21)
Mexico Open (2015-16)
TransAmerican Power Products CRV Mexico Open (2014)
Abierto Mexicano de Golf (2013)
Mexico Open (2011-12)
Mexico Open Bicentenary (2010)
Mexico Open (2008-09)
Abierto Mexicano Corona (2005-06)
Mexican Open (1944-2003)

Mexico Open Field

Tony Finau Mexico Open — Tony Finau of United States and his caddie walk onto the 12th green during the second round of the Mexico Open at Vidanta on Apr 29, 2022 in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez via Getty Images)

Easily the weakest field of 2024 will tee it up at Vidanta Vallarta for the Mexico Open’s third edition on the PGA Tour.

Leading the way is world No. 24 Tony Finau, who enters as the defending champion. The 32-year-old American also finished T2 in the 20222 edition.

Other familiar names include Nicolai Hojgaard, Emiliano Grillo and Maverick McNealy.

Top-5 Betting Favorites

1. Tony Finau (7-1)
2. Nicolai Hojgaard (14-1)
3. Emiliano Grillo (20-1)
3. Stephan Jaeger (20-1)
5. Keith Mitchell (22-1)

Full Field: Rank & Odds

Vidanta Vallarta . Vallarta, Mexico . Feb 22-25, 2024

Joel Cook contributed to this preview.
Credits: PGA Tour Media, OWGR, Bovada, Getty Images, Wikipedia