Spanish Golfer Jon Rahm, Defending Champion And World No. 2 Confirms His Participation
MEXICO CITY, March 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The Mexico Open at Vidanta, an official PGA TOUR event, is preparing to welcome 144 professional golfers for the second consecutive year to the Vidanta Vallarta golf course April 27-30 to compete for a purse of $7.7 million and 500 FedExCup points.
World No. 2, Spain’s Jon Rahm, defending champion of the Mexico Open at Vidanta, heads the list of confirmed players. In the 2022 edition, Rahm led the board from start to finish in Puerto Vallarta; he finished Sunday with a one-stroke lead over Brandon Wu and Tony Finau for an overall score of -17 (64-66-68-69=267).
“We are very excited to hold the second edition of the Mexico Open at Vidanta. The first edition was just the beginning of a new era of golf in our country. This coming April, we will provide the best experience for our attendees and fans,” said Rodrigo Suárez Gilly, Executive Director of the Mexico Open at Vidanta.
Rahm’s early confirmation indicates the tournament’s relevance on the PGA TOUR’s top stars’ calendar. After his victory at the Mexico Open at Vidanta, Jon has added three more victories on the sport’s ultimate tour, accumulating ten wins on the PGA TOUR and eight more at the international level.
A year after its official debut on the PGA TOUR, the Vidanta Vallarta venue is in even better conditions to relive the emotions the world’s golf stars will experience.
“We are proud to welcome the world’s golf elite to Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta for the second time during the Mexico Open at Vidanta, the most important social and sporting event in Mexico and Latin America,” said Jose Alonso, COO of Grupo Vidanta. “This international tournament is an authentic showcase to demonstrate the richness of Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta to the world and to confirm that in Mexico, we have it all: the best service, hospitality, beautiful landscapes, and the ability to do things with incomparable quality. We invite you to enjoy some memorable days of golf, gastronomy, entertainment, and beach with friends and family,” he added.
Fernando Lemmen-Meyer, president of the Mexican Golf Federation (FMG), thanked Grupo Salinas and Grupo Vidanta for their work to promote Mexican golf’s growth. “At the Mexican Golf Federation, we are very proud of this alliance with Grupo Salinas and Grupo Vidanta that allows us to have the elite of world golf in our country. We are also grateful to all the media that support us in spreading the word about our sport,” commented Lemmen-Meyer.
Since 2017, Grupo Salinas has committed to promoting golf in Mexico and national and Latin American golfers. This is why exemptions have been granted to promising players in the region and Mexican players with the possibility of developing this opportunity in a PGA TOUR event. With these exemptions, Grupo Salinas strengthens the ties between amateur and professional golf.
Argentine Mateo Fernández de Oliveira was the first to obtain the exemption, thanks to his victory in the Latin America Amateur Championship (LAAC). The University of Arkansas player was crowned at the Grand Reserve Golf Club, Puerto Rico, after 265 strokes (23 under par). “Playing in a PGA TOUR tournament will be a dream come true, something I’ve always wanted. It’s a goal accomplished. The fact that this tournament will be played in Mexico will make it even more special. Having opportunities like this will make me a better golfer; I will prepare and give my best,” said Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira.
Among the national players, Sebastián Vázquez, with experience in multiple tournaments within the PGA TOUR, will be part of the field, as he will receive an exemption for finishing as the best Mexican player in the Tabachines Classic, corresponding to the fifth stage of the Mexican Professional Golf Tour (GGPM).
Omar Morales from Puebla, winner of the Value Next Generation Qualifier, played at the Club Campestre Monterrey, will also be at Vidanta Vallarta. The junior is a sophomore at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), where he is part of the golf team. “Challenging my game against the best in the world is an important step for my career. This opportunity is the biggest tournament I have ever played. It means a lot to me,” said Morales.
Jose Cristobal Islas, representing the University of Oregon, received an exemption and will compete for the second consecutive year. The Hidalgo native became the first amateur player to be crowned on the Mexican Professional Golf Tour, winning the El Campanario Classic. “I am pleased about the news of my invitation to the Mexico Open at Vidanta. I am excited for the challenge ahead, and I have nothing left to do but to start preparing myself as best as possible to give myself a chance in Vallarta”, Islas commented.
Jose de Jesus Rodriguez, better known as “El Camaron,” will debut at the Mexico Open at Vidanta for the first time; he was granted the exemption for being the top-ranked Mexican in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). The player from Irapuato, Guanajuato, has played 33 PGA TOUR events and 20 international victories in his professional career. “I want to thank everyone for the invitation to represent my country in the Mexico Open at Vidanta. We will try to do our best to put our country on top,” said Rodriguez.
And we will also be accompanied by Alvaro Ortiz, winner of the 2021 edition of the Abierto Mexicano de Golf and the Latin America Amateur Championship (LAAC) in 2019, which led him to participate in the Augusta Masters that year. The tapatío has played PGA TOUR events, including the Mexico Open at Vidanta 2022, where he finished T42.
In the following weeks, we will announce more players participating in the Mexico Open at Vidanta. As a reminder, you have until Friday, April 21, at 5:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. Central Mexico time) to confirm your attendance. You may withdraw from the tournament at any time.
Tickets for the Mexico Open at Vidanta are on sale at ticketmaster.com.mx.
For more information about the Mexico Open at Vidanta, please visit www.mexicoopen.mx and follow us through the tournament’s official channels on Facebook: @MexicoOpenGolf, Twitter: @MexicoOpenGolf, and Instagram: @MexicoOpen.
About MEXICO OPEN AT VIDANTA
The Mexico Open at Vidanta dates back to 1944 when it was called Abierto Mexicano de Golf and is considered Mexico’s national championship. The 2023 edition will appear on the PGA TOUR schedule for the second time as an official FedExCup event, offering 500 FedExCup points to the winner and a 7.7 million dollar purse. The tournament will be held from April 24th to 30th at Vidanta Vallarta with a full field of 144 professionals. The PGA TOUR´s avant-garde style merges with the history of professional golf in Mexico in the form of the Mexico Open at Vidanta, a world-class tournament presented by Grupo Salinas that will attract the attention of everyone in our country and around the world.
About GRUPO VIDANTA
Founded in 1974 by the visionary leader of the tourism industry, Daniel Chávez Morán, Grupo Vidanta is the most important comprehensive developer of tourism services in Mexico and Latin America, specializing in building and operating luxury vacation destinations, luxury resort hotel brands, real estate, golf courses, luxury beach clubs, cruise ships, theme parks, innovative experiences, and spectacular entertainment centers in Mexico.
The company’s visionary approach to the development of luxury beach destinations makes dream vacations a reality in the most coveted places on the coast of Mexico—Nuevo Vallarta, Riviera Maya, Los Cabos, Acapulco, Puerto Peñasco, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and coming soon East Cape. Their portfolio of world-class brands and experiences include such resort hotels as The Estates, AAA Five Diamond award-winning Grand Luxxe, The Grand Bliss, The Grand Mayan, The Bliss, Mayan Palace, Sea Garden, Ocean Breeze, among others; Vidanta Cruises, the first Mexican luxury cruise line; and SkyDream Parks Gondola, the world’s first-ever gondola at a beach resort. In addition, Vidanta is redesigning the future of entertainment to bring to life a new universe filled with immersive adventures: VidantaWorld, theme and experiential parks for all generations.
Grupo Vidanta also continues to pioneer innovative partnerships, including original collaborations such as Cirque du Soleil JOYÀ, a permanent show located at Vidanta Riviera Maya and the only Cirque du Soleil theatrical and culinary experience in the world. Grupo Vidanta also has an ongoing relationship with Nicklaus Design and Greg Norman Golf Course Design to develop spectacular professional golf courses within Vidanta’s different destinations. And the company is proud to partner with Grupo Salinas to host the 2022 -2024 PGA TOUR’s Mexico Open at Vidanta, which is located at the award-winning Vidanta Vallarta Course at Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta.
Grupo Vidanta’s real estate division has built and sold more than 2,000 luxurious vacation homes and is responsible for developing the first privately built airport in Mexico, Mar de Cortés International Airport, in Puerto Peñasco.
Listed by Forbes and Expansión as one of the best employers in Mexico, Grupo Vidanta maintains a solid commitment to its employees and the communities where it operates through its continuous mission dedicated to promoting social and environmental efforts, as recognized by such global authorities as EarthCheck, and through its non-profit foundations, the Vidanta Foundation and the Delia Morán Vidanta Foundation.
Visit www.GrupoVidanta.com or join the conversation on digital platforms with @Vidanta.
About PGA TOUR
By showcasing golf’s greatest players, the PGA TOUR engages, inspires and positively impacts our fans, partners and communities worldwide.
The PGA TOUR, headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, co-sanctions tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada and Forme Tour. Members on the PGA TOUR represent the world’s best players, hailing from 28 countries and territories outside the United States (90 international members). The PGA TOUR has domestic distribution partnerships for broadcast coverage on CBS, NBC and Golf Channel. Internationally, PGA TOUR coverage is available across 216 countries and territories in 28 languages via 48 local broadcast partners, in addition to the digital streaming service platform GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations to maximize charitable giving, and to date, tournaments across all Tours have generated more than $3.2 billion.
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SOURCE Grupo Vidanta
