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The final participant from Mexico to win the Mexico Open? Alvaro Ortiz.
The place does Ortiz sit after the second spherical of the 2024 Mexico Open at Vidanta? Tied for first.
Ortiz, who gained the Mexico Open in 2021 when it was a PGA Tour Latinoamerica occasion, shot 7-under 64, a profession greatest, on Friday to maneuver right into a share of first at Vidanta Vallarta alongside Englishman Matt Wallace, Finland’s Sami Valimaki and American Jake Knapp. Ortiz is a member of the Korn Ferry Tour and is making his tenth PGA Tour begin this week. It’s his fourth made reduce, nevertheless, the 28-year-old who performed collegiately at Arkansas would have a historic and breakthrough win if he have been to say the Mexico Open title for the second time in 4 years.
The match is the nationwide open of Mexico, but it surely’s solely the third yr it has been a PGA Tour occasion. Like when Nick Taylor gained the Canadian Open final summer season, it simply means extra when a nationwide is ready to seize their residence open. The identical might be stated for Ortiz if he have been to capitalize this weekend. He would grow to be solely the second Mexican ever to win his nationwide open twice, becoming a member of Ernesto Perez Acosta.
Mexico Open: Images
“From tee to inexperienced it was pretty much as good because it may very well be,” Ortiz stated. “I hit the ball very effectively and simply felt very snug on the market. It was very clear, very stress free and I used to be glad to have the ability to make that eagle on 6. I really feel like I used to be dropping slightly little bit of momentum leaving a pair putts go, but it surely was good to get that one again. Comfortable to be within the place you I’m in.”
Ortiz birdied each different gap on his first 9, the again 9 at Vidanta Vallarta, going out in 5-under 31. Then on the again 9, he had a clear card with eight pars and an eagle approaching the par-5 sixth gap to signal for his 64.
So far as any added strain this weekend?
“No, it’s extra enjoyable, it’s extra enjoyable,” he stated. “I don’t get to try this typically. As many individuals, the yelling, it’s enjoyable. I don’t get that a lot within the States, but it surely’s fairly cool to see how many individuals are coming and hopefully it is going to be packed this weekend.”
Santiago De La Fuente of Mexico putts on the second inexperienced through the second spherical of the Mexico Open at Vidanta at Vidanta Vallarta on February 23, 2024 in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. (Picture by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Pictures)
He’s not the one Mexican having a powerful week, both. Beginner Santiago De la Fuente, who gained the Latin America Beginner Championship in January, sits at 6 underneath and T-9 heading to the weekend.
The duo has loads of similarities. They’ve each gained the LAAC, with Ortiz inserting within the high 5 4 occasions in 5 appearances on the occasion. Ortiz and his brother, Carlos of the LIV Golf League, are the final two Mexican gamers to tee it up within the Masters (Ortiz in 2019, Carlos in 2021) since Victor Regalado in 1979. De la Fuente will add his title to the checklist this April.
Listed below are 4 extra issues to know from the second spherical of the 2024 Mexico Open at Vidanta:
Jake Knapp of the USA performs a shot on the thirteenth gap through the second spherical of the Mexico Open at Vidanta at Vidanta Vallarta on February 23, 2024 in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. (Picture by Hector Vivas/Getty Pictures)
Jake Knapp is a PGA Tour rookie, however he has a swing so clean it’ll make you wish to copy it subsequent time you are taking it to the course.
He tied Ortiz with a 7-under 64 on Friday to sit down tied for the lead going to the weekend. He had a birdie putt on his ultimate gap for a solo lead however couldn’t knock it in.
Knapp had three straight birdies on Nos. 6-8 on the entrance 9, and he’s first this week in Strokes Gained: Strategy, gaining practically seven photographs on the sector. He’s second Off the Tee, having a dominant efficiency from tee to inexperienced.
He has hit all however three fairways and all however 4 greens by 36 holes. Even dropping strokes across the inexperienced and on them, he nonetheless finds himself in competition heading to the weekend.
Matt Wallace of England reacts after placing within the second inexperienced through the second spherical of the Mexico Open at Vidanta at Vidanta Vallarta on February 23, 2024 in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. (Picture by Hector Vivas/Getty Pictures)
Wallace and Valimaki are each European, however they’re in two completely different phases of their PGA Tour careers.
Wallace is a winner, breaking by final yr on the Corales Puntacana Championship. In the meantime, Valimaki is a rookie, incomes his card for ending within the high 10 final yr on the DP World Tour season-long factors race.
But each are in the identical spot heading to the weekend: tied for the lead.
Wallace received there through a 6-under 65, together with a 5-under 30 on his ultimate 9 holes. After some sluggish begins to rounds to start the season, Wallace and his caddie got here up with a components to attempt to fight that.
“We discover ourselves behind the 8 ball, after which we’ve performed very well on Fridays as a result of we’ve been decided to get the rating again. So we sort of got here up with a system of like beginning over par so we’ve already performed one spherical, proper? To make the reduce, you’ve received to get your self into it,” Wallace stated.
“So yesterday was 4 over, and we managed to shoot 1 underneath, which is 5 underneath, and immediately it was 3 over. It’s not good standing on that tenth tee 3 over already. Then I bogeyed it, so I used to be 4 over so I needed to get it again. That type of willpower and focus actually helped.”
In the meantime, Valimaki had seven birdies and three bogeys in a 4-under 67. In 4 occasions this season, his greatest end is T-41 on the WM Phoenix Open. He had a wrist harm coming in, so he’s thrilled along with his begin.
“I wasn’t truly positive Wednesday night that we (have been) going to start out the match,” Valimaki stated. “I had perspective over there, particularly yesterday, and immediately I hold combating in the long run.”
First-round chief Erik van Rooyen, who gained the final Tour occasion in Mexico within the fall, shot 2-under 69 on Friday and sits a shot again of the lead pack.
Tony Finau of the USA makes a shot on the ninth gap through the second spherical of the Mexico Open at Vidanta at Vidanta Vallarta on February 23, 2024 in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. (Picture by Hector Vivas/Getty Pictures)
Tony Finau has had loads of success at Vidanta Vallarta, ending runner-up and hoisting the trophy in his two appearances in Mexico.
This yr, he’s not fairly off to as robust of a begin because the previous two years, however his end Friday helped him get effectively into competition heading to the weekend.
Finau made two eagles on the again 9, together with on the closing par-5 18th, to maneuver to six underneath for the match, 5 again of the leaders. His first eagle got here due to a chip-in on the par-5 twelfth gap. The second was after he caught his strategy from 237 yards out to eight ft.
“That was big to complete like that, get myself proper again in hanging distance with 36 to go,” Finau stated. “Sort of a sloppy day. Exterior of the eagles, sort of a sloppy day, however clearly eagles make up for it fairly quick. To have two eagles sort of on my final seven holes actually stored me within the golf match, in order that was good to complete that manner.”
Rafael Campos of Puerto Rico appears on on the second inexperienced through the second spherical of the Mexico Open at Vidanta at Vidanta Vallarta on February 23, 2024 in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. (Picture by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Pictures)
Rafael Campos has had an unforgettable week at Vidanta.
On Tuesday throughout a follow spherical, he aced the par-3 thirteenth gap. Then on Friday, he had one more ace.
Campos made a one on the par-3 seventeenth gap, hitting a 5-iron to the 226-yard gap. He was begging his ball to clear the water, and when it bounced, it slowly trundled throughout the inexperienced and finally into the outlet. It’s his first ace on Tour.
Gap-in-one for @RafaCamposGolf ‼️
He playing cards a 1️⃣ on the 226-yard par-3 seventeenth @MexicoOpenGolf.
(Offered by @CocaCola) pic.twitter.com/D1l7PgcKvV
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 23, 2024
“Honesty, I missed it,” Campos stated. “I believed it was within the water, so I simply stored on saying, ‘please recover from the water, get within the bunker.’ Thankfully, golf equipment are made for if you hit it fats, it comes out low with out spin, so it truly flew the bunker.
“As soon as we noticed it bounce, it was a sigh of aid for a second. Then after we noticed it roll in, we have been like I feel this might need an opportunity. In order that was an additional bonus for positive to see it go in. It’s ironic, it’s the second this week. I had one on Tuesday on 13 enjoying with Nate Lashley, and I’m like I haven’t finished that in 10 years. So to have two within the span of 4 days, that’s been fairly wonderful for me.”
The ace helped Campos shoot 4-under 67 on Friday, and he sits at 5-under 137 heading into the weekend.
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