After the shortened Bermuda Championship, the PGA Tour heads to Mexico for the Mexico Open from Vidanta Vallarta.
The Mexico Open shifts back to the FedExCup Fall from its early-season slot, with Wyndham Clark, Tom Kim and Ben Griffin all attending.
While short hitter Brian Campbell was a shock winner of the 2025 edition, Vidanta Vallarta sets up well for long hitters. There is plenty of water players need to be mindful of, but the course is largely wide open with minimal rough, and has a similar feel to Memorial Park, another bomber-friendly venue.
Around two-thirds of approach shots will come from 175 yards or further, presenting a real test of mid-to-long-iron play, with the average par-4 and par-5 distance clocking in at nearly 500 yards, the longest on the PGA Tour.
Greens at Vidanta Vallarta are large, but the sheer distance from tee to green means around a third will be missed throughout the week, though the venue has never provided the sternest test in terms of scrambling.
Wyndham Clark tops our Power Rankings for the Mexico Open, but who rounds out the top five? Find out below.
5 - Johnny Keefer
Johnny Keefer has had a fine start to life on the PGA Tour, recording five top 10s, and while he’ll try and make the most of the Fall season, he won’t have any concerns over his status next season.
Keefer started his FedExCup Fall campaign with a T7 at the Biltmore Championship and a T10 at the Bank of Utah Championship, and ranks sixth for SG: TOT across the last eight weeks as per Golf Betting System.
Vidanta Vallarta will give Keefer the opportunity to flex his muscles, and based on his T3 at the Texas Children’s Houston Open and the Scottish Open suggests Keefer prefers the longer assignments.
In good form and with a liking for similar courses, this could be the week Keefer gets off the mark.
4 - Ben Griffin
Ben Griffin is one of three players in the field who finished in the FedExCup top 50, meaning his place in the Signature Events next year is secure, suggesting he fancies his chances this week.
While Griffin isn’t the longest hitter, the likes of Brian Campbell, Aaron Rai, Joel Dahmen and Griffin himself proved that good iron play can land you in contention.
Griffin has a decent record at Memorial Park with a couple of top-20s and a worst finish of T36 from his four outings, and was T4 in Mexico last year.
Griffin didn’t finish the season especially strongly, but that was largely down to a cold putter; his iron play has largely held up well, gaining strokes on approach in nine of his last 10 starts.
3 - Ben James
Being sent off favourite gives a better indicator of where Ben James is right now than his missed cut at the Bermuda Championship, which presents a unique test and is often the undoing of some of the better golfers in the field.
James’s last three finishes prior to Bermuda were solo-third, solo-second and T5, catapulting him into the world’s top 100 and giving him a great chance of qualifying for next season’s early Signature Events.
James, like Griffin, isn’t the longest hitter, but his accuracy should put him in good spots this week, while his iron play – especially his long iron play – has been superb.
The 23-year-old has been excellent on the PGA Tour since his graduation, and that inevitable first win could well come this week.
2 - Tom Kim
After a hugely challenging 18 months, Tom Kim has been back to his best of late, winning gold at the Asian Games to earn an exemption from military service, allowing him to focus on his PGA Tour career.
Since the summer, Kim has finished T3 at the US Open, T5 at the Wyndham Championship and won the Scottish Open at the stretching Renaissance Club.
While Kim isn’t a long hitter, his elite iron play allows him to compete anywhere. Kim hasn’t lost strokes on approach since missing the cut at the Valero Texas Open back in April – the only time he’s lost strokes on approach in his last 20 starts.
Kim has also tightened things up on the green and is very much a contender this week.
1 - Wyndham Clark
Arguably the PGA Tour Player of the Year, Wyndham Clark has enjoyed a marvellous 2026, winning the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, the BMW Championship and a second US Open.
Clark is making his first appearance at Vidanta Vallarta but certainly seems to have the game for the course. Long off the tee, Clark isn’t punished for his inaccuracy at Vidanta Vallarta and can take advantage of his improved iron play and putting.
While Clark hasn’t played at Vidanta Vallarta before, he has enjoyed his past trips to Memorial Park, finishing T16 and T5 in his last four appearances.
Given his results on longer courses this season, Clark looks a worthy favourite.
