Purse: $7 million (€6.7 million)/$1.26 million (€1.2 million) to the winner
Where: Vallarta, Mexico
Course: The Vidanta course – 7,436 yards, par 71 – is a set in a picturesque setting along the meandering Ameca river with views of the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range on every hole. The resort course first opened in 2015 and features large landing areas and also large greens, which are protected by deep bunkering. The back nine’s layout features three Par 3s, three Par 4s and three Par 5s. Jon Rahm set the course record 61 in 2023.
Field: Unlike past events at Vidanta World which featured some high-profile names, with Tony Finau among the past champions (2023), this year’s field – one of two counting events, along with next week’s Cognizant Classic, that offers a pathway to the Arnold Palmer Invitational – lacks such star quality. Akshay Bhatia, the world number 30, is the top ranked player in the field, while the Højgaard twins, Rasmus and Nicolai, head the European challenge. Jake Knapp is the defending champion. An interesting sponsor’s exemption is 17-year-old Blades Brown who becomes eligible to join the PGA Tour when he turns 18 in May.
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Irish playing: Pádraig Harrington, who is playing on a sponsor’s invite, is the lone Irishman in the field as he moves across the Atlantic following stints on the DP World Tour (in UAE and Bahrain) and on the Champions Tour in Morocco. Harrington made the cut in the tournament last year, finishing tied-52nd. Harrington is grouped with Nicolai Hojgaard and Michael Kim (off the 1st at 6.32pm Irish time).
Betting: This is a wide-open market, with Bhatia installed as the 11-1 favourite ahead of Rasmus Højgaard. However, there are a number of strong each-way prospects given the absence of many of the world’s top players who are keeping their powder dry ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players inside the next month. As such, it is worth looking at Aldrich Potgieter (tied-15th in the Farmers Insurance Open on his most recent start on the PGA Tour this season) who is available at 60-1, while Matteo Manassero, who hasn’t missed a cut since the Spanish Open last September, is on offer at 100-1.
On TV: On Sky Sports Golf (from 9pm).
