The Mexico Open at VidantaWorld isn’t a star-studded event but there’s money to be won and a trophy to be hoisted. After Thursday’s first round, there are 21 golfers that shot a three-under 68, which is the projected cut line. There’s another 19 golfers at two-under. Here are how some of the more popular golfers fared:
Taylor Moore ($9,000; 28 FPTS) is the 11th-most expensive golfer on the slate and the sixth-most rostered golfer in the $500K Pitch + Putt tournament at 17.78%. After one round, he’s right on the cut line after shooting a three-under 68. Things began poorly, as he bogeyed the first hole of the day, but he bounced back with three birdies to close out the front nine. On the back nine, he double-bogeyed the first hole, then followed that up with a bogey. Order was somewhat restored with four birdies, which included a three-birdie streak on Holes 5, 6 and 7.
Michael Kim ($9,200; 24.5 FPTS) is rostered on 15.15% of teams and also shot a three-under on Thursday. On the front nine, Kim was status quo for the first three holes but then bogeyed Hole 4. He then had a three-birdie streak on Holes 5, 6 and 7. On the back nine, Kim bogeyed the first hole but then drained two birdies to close out the round.
Nicolai Hojgaard ($8,100; 20 FPTS) is the third-most rostered golfer at 19.24%. His day began ominously with two bogeys right out of the gate. He birdied four of the next five holes before finishing the front nine with another bogey. The back nine was more uneventful with two birdies and a bogey on the final hole.
Sam Stevens ($9,800; 10.5 FPTS) is rostered on 17.45% of teams. It was vanilla on the front nine with one birdie. Things looked to be the same on the back nine with a birdie, but then Stevens bogeyed Hole 14 and finished the round with a double-bogey and a bogey on the final two holes. He finished the day two-over.
Alex Smalley ($8,700; 15.5 FPTS) is rostered on 13.78% of teams. It was mostly an uneventful first round for Smalley with one birdie on the front nine. He went par for the first four holes of the back nine before draining a birdie on Hole 14. Then the “fireworks” happened with a bogey on Hole 17 before getting it back with a birdie on the final hole.
Atop the leaderboard, there are three golfers who are tied at seven-under:
Harry Hall ($9,300; 62 FPTS) shot an unblemished round with three birdies on the front nine, followed by two birdies and an eagle on the back nine.
Jeremy Paul ($6,600; 66 FPTS) lit up the front nine with a three-birdie streak on Holes 4, 5 and 6 then put the cherry on top with an eagle on Hole 7. He did bogey Hole 8 but then closed out the back nine with an eagle and a birdie.
Kris Ventura ($7,300; 61 FPTS) racked up five birdies on the front nine then had quite the finish to the round with a three-birdie streak on Holes 6, 7 and 8 before ending with a bogey on the last hole.
In the $500K Pitch + Putt tournament, Hall is rostered on 13.07% of teams, Paul is on 0.47% and Ventura is rostered on 7.85% of teams.
DK Sportsbook has Hall as the favorite to win it all at +750. Paul is at +2500, the seventh-lowest odds. Ventura is +1400 to win it all, the third-lowest odds.
The highest-rostered golfer is Akshay Bhatia ($10,700; 35.5 FPTS). He is also the most expensive golfer on the slate. After one round, Bhatia is T9 after shooting a five-under 66. Bhatia had four birdies and a bogey on the front nine which included a three-birdie streak on Holes 6, 7 and 8. On the back nine, he bogeyed the first hole but then finished the round with three more birdies.
