2025 Mexico Open Preview: Key Players and Course Analysis

Watch 2025 Mexico Open Preview: Key Players and Course Analysis - SportsGrid on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00The Mexico Open, Vidanta, fourth year that we have been here.

00:04We've had, of course, the first couple of years, Ram and Tony Finau, and some big names.

00:09Not that many big names here this year, Keith.

00:14Before we get into it, give me the particulars.

00:16Anything different about the course and not going to be any weather problems in Mexico.

00:21I know we don't have to go that far this week.

00:23No, you know, quick commute from San Diego, even shorter than L.A. and years before from

00:28the Genesis when they were at Riviera, right down the coast.

00:32They're down there in Puerta Vallarta, right, in Vidanta, Vallarta.

00:35You got to love this place.

00:36I mean, the golf course itself, it's set aside.

00:39You might as well be like, this could be the Dubai Desert Classic for all we know.

00:42I mean, the setting, it's right there on the sea.

00:45You know, you really don't see anything, a couple of buildings in the background.

00:48Par 71, long golf course, though, long golf course, 7,400 plus yards, and kind of a unique

00:54scorecard.

00:55So, as I get into Keith's Keys, the third one is where the uniqueness comes out.

00:59The first thing is, this has been a bomber's paradise.

01:01The first couple of years, we had Houston, Finau, and Rob, but those guys, they moved

01:06the ball with some ball speed, and it's certainly an advantage.

01:09It's the type of place where if you can really, really gain off the tee with your driver,

01:14then it sets you apart.

01:15The second thing is that over 40% of your approach shots, they come from over 200 yards.

01:20So, again, the longer you are off the tee, the less of those you're hitting, or maybe

01:24some of those are at 205 and not 215.

01:27So, certainly some length and great long iron acumen.

01:30And then the third thing is the par threes.

01:32There's five of them this week, and a bunch of them are long, so it goes back to number

01:36two, the long iron acumen, but it also just shows you that 28% of the holes you're going

01:41to play this week, you get a perfect lie on approach.

01:44You better be a good par three scorer.

01:46Those three winners, Jake Knapp, Finau, and Rob, those guys gained an average of over

01:50four and a half strokes on the par threes in the year that they won.

01:54Now, most weeks when I look at that number, it's in the one and a half to two zone that

01:58the guys gain in the week that they won on any other golf course.

02:02That's pretty special.

02:03The extra par three makes a difference.

02:05Those three keys is what I'm looking at when I came up with my betting card.

02:09Yeah, and you just mentioned it, Jake Afternoon Knapp, the defending champion after his win

02:15year.

02:17He's actually been playing pretty good lately as well, going into this.

02:22That might be a guy that we want to keep our eyes on as well as we get here.