Brian Campbell has won the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld, beating Aldrich Potgieter on the second playoff hole thanks to a lucky shot that, thanks to the rebound of the trees, allowed him to stay in the game and close with a decisive birdie. For the 31-year-old American, who finished the tournament with a total of 20 under par (264), it is the first victory as a professional in a decade of career. The success guarantees him access to the Masters, THE PLAYERS Championship, the PGA Championship and five Signature Events of the PGA Tour worth 20 million dollars. Campbell, author of a final round of 70 (-1), underlined the importance of luck and tenacity, qualities that have accompanied him even in difficult moments, such as the seven years spent in the minor leagues after a complicated start on the PGA Tour.
Second place for the 20-year-old South African Potgieter (264, -20), leader after the third round but unable to take advantage of the final par-5 of the playoff, despite his power off the tee. Third place for Isaiah Salinda (-19), while Aaron Rai and Ben Griffin finished in fourth place (-18).
Campbell, results
On the Italian front, Francesco Molinari returned to show signs of competitiveness, finishing in 49th place with a total of -7 (66-68-72-71). The Turin native, recovering after a difficult period, confirms his good moment. Matteo Manassero, on the other hand, finished 68th with -2 (72-67-68-75), still making the cut for the third time in three events played on the PGA Tour, a positive sign for his growth path on the PGA Tour.
The PGA TOUR returns to Mexico for the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld, the first of two events scheduled to try to earn a spot in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, via the Aon Swing 5.
The Mexico Open features a full field of numerous PGA Tour winners, young talents waiting to become stars, such as Blades Brown, in his second TOUR tournament this season after turning pro at 17, and local players looking to shine in their own country.
The Vidanta Vallarta course at VidantaWorld is a par-71, 6,800 meters long. More than 750 feet have been added to the original design of the course, which opened in 2015, in preparation for the arrival of the PGA Tour in 2022. The course runs along the Ameca River, with views of the Sierra Madre Occidental from every hole. There are wide tee areas and large greens, but they are protected by deep bunkers. The back nine features three par 3s, three par 4s and three par 5s.
Jake Knapp won his first PGA Tour title last year with a total of -19 and a tight par fourth round that was enough to beat Sami Valimaki by two shots. Jake Knapp will be back to defend his title in Mexico, coming into the tournament after his best result of the season, a 17th-place finish at The Genesis Invitational. Akshay Bhatia scored his best finish of 2025 with a ninth-place finish at Torrey Pines last week, while twins Rasmus and Nicolai Højgaard are both in the field, coming off finishes of 12th and 36th at the WM Phoenix Open.
Matteo Manassero will be playing his third PGA Tour event after finishing 43rd at The American Express and 25th at the Farmers Insurance Open in January. Francesco Molinari will also be in the field, ready to challenge his opponents for a good finish.
Other entries include Michael Thorbjornsen, who is looking to get his season off to a flying start, and a number of 2024 PGA Tour winners, including Matt McCarty, Joel Dahmen, Aaron Rai, Emiliano Grillo, Erik van Rooyen and Kevin Yu.
Qualifying saw Matthew Watkins, Riley Lewis, Luke Gifford and Hayden Springer earn their spots in the field via a 5-way playoff for 4 available spots.
Blades Brown will be making his second tournament since turning pro, while Fred Biondi will be making his 2025 debut. Justin Hastings and Jose Luis Ballester Barrio will be looking to bounce back after missing the cut in previous tournaments. Santiago de la Fuente, Erich Fortlage, Gerardo Gomez, Leandro Mihaich, Alvaro Ortiz and Jose Antonio Safa round out the field. Scott Piercy and Padraig Harrington will also be in attendance as sponsor guests.
The Mexico Open is the first Aon Swing 5 event to qualify for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Nick Taylor currently leads the standings, followed by Maverick McNealy and Patrick Rodgers, who is surging after his third-place finish at The Genesis.
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