Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – Mexico Open at Vidanta

2024 Mexico Open Fantasy Sleeper Report

Hideki Matsuyama served up a unique slice of golfing history on his way to victory at the Genesis Invitational.

He’s the first player on the PGA TOUR to win by three or more shots when trailing by six strokes with a round to play, which really is a remarkable feat when you think about it.

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Available at sportsbook odds of 125/1 heading into Sunday, the Japanese star laid on a masterclass of birdie-making, thriving as the likes of Patrick Cantlay and Will Zalatoris, the 54-hole protagonists, and late challenger Luke List fell by the wayside.

Matsuyama strolled to victory, his ninth in all on the PGA TOUR, to end a two-year wait for silverware.

It’s off to Mexico we go this week, as the PGA TOUR takes a foray over the border to the Mexico Open at Vidanta. Normally held in April, a schedule shuffle sees the tournament boosted to February – bringing with a gloriously warm and wind-free weather forecast.

Greg Norman was on design duty for Vidanta, a course which bears all of his normal hallmarks of Links-style design while maintaining the local landscaping. This is coastal resort golf with expansive fairways, plenty of water and huge Paspalum greens, all of which lends itself to low scoring.

Tony Finau certainly obliged here 12 months ago, firing -24 to outlast Jon Rahm and lift the trophy – a year after the duo duked out a 1-2 finish in the opposite order in 2022.

This was peak Finau – a ball-striking behemoth who seems to enjoy the slower speeds of these grainy Paspalum greens, which will likely prove to be a key factor again this week in determining the winner.

Sadly, the Mexico Open is dogged by weak field syndrome, and that will be worsened this week with Rahm now off seeking his fortune elsewhere. Finau leads the way once more, while the likes of Nicolai Hojgaard, Ryan Fox and Stephan Jaeger will be seeking a maiden PGA TOUR title. 

It’s a field so lacking in depth that there aren’t many players that hold appeal at long odds, but if you act fast you’ll still be able to pick up juicy prices on the five that make up our 2024 Mexico Open at Vidanta sleeper shortlist.

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Davis Thompson – 50/1 – Ever since he went toe-to-toe with Jon Rahm at the American Express in 2023, Davis Thompson has been on the cards of many bettors and pundits.

He’s yet to truly live up to those exploits again, but a slew of top-25s since the summer indicate that the youngster is very much here to stay on the PGA TOUR.

In this weak company, Thompson’s prodigious length and excellent approach play of late – beating the field with irons and wedges in each of his last four starts – look like weapons indeed. T15 at the World Wide Technology Championship in November also hints at comfort on Paspalum greens.

Doug Ghim – 50/1 – There is so much to admire about Doug Ghim’s game, and maybe this will be the week in which he finally puts it all together and contends on the PGA TOUR.

He heads to Mexico on the back of T12 and T13 finishes in the higher-grade Phoenix and Farmers Insurance Opens, where he gained strokes on the field in every single department.

Ghim holds a strong record at Torrey Pines, a pair of courses that can be considered somewhat correlating with Vidanta, while a previous T3 in Bogota while on the Korn Ferry Tour is a hint of his liking for golf in Latin America.

Mark Hubbard – 50/1 – With six PGA TOUR top-10s since the summer, Mark Hubbard is one of the most consistent operators in the field this week.

To win, he needs to putt better, so gaining strokes on the field with the flat stick in three of his last five outings is at least a positive move in that direction.

In one of those, Hubbard finished T4 at Pebble Beach – conditions with more than a flicker of recognition of Vidanta, while the best day of his career came when winning by the Florida seaside on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Mackenzie Hughes – 60/1 – If you’ve ever spent any time watching horse racing, you’ll know that owners and trainers can take their time finding the right grade, i.e. level of competition, for their horses.

And you wonder if stepping down in grade, as Mackenzie Hughes will do here, will ultimately ensure that the Canadian delivers an immediate return to form as a result.

Hughes finished more than halfway up the pack at the Genesis Invitational at a layout that doesn’t really suit his game, and prior success by the sea at the likes of the RSM Classic and Puntacana suggest this week’s test will be much more to his liking.

Michael Kim – 66/1 – Long off the tee and with a decent approach game, Michael Kim catches the eye this week.

He’s been bubbling up nicely for a while now, with T5 at the Wyndham Championship joined by T6 at the American Express, and even a T37 at the Farmers Insurance Open saw more than +1.00 gained on the field from tee-to-green.

Kim also has a solid record on Paspalum greens, including a solo fifth at the Puerto Rico Open in 2023, so there’s a chance that it will all come together nicely this week.

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Want more of this week’s fantasy predictions? Check out our full fantasy preview for the Mexico Open here.

Fantasy Golf Predictions This Season (2023-2024)

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