Can Jon Rahm defend his Mexico Open title? Golfer's odds and top competition explored
Jon Rahm thinks he could have been rested after winning The Masters. But a return to the Mexico Open at Vidanta has cleansed his mind and renewed his body as he attempts to defend his championship this week and win for the fifth time this season. Rahm stated Wednesday from Vidanta Vallarta,
"Feeling good about the game right now. I’ve only defended the Spanish Open as a professional, so it wouldn’t be bad if I could defend the Mexico Open.”
Jon Rahm 's odds and competition
A total of 88 golfers are set to compete at the 2023 Masters, which runs through April 6-9. Anyone can win the prestigious event. The top-3 betting favorites before the event began (via Forbes Betting):
- Scottie Scheffler: +650
- Rory McIlroy: +750
- Jon Rahm: +850
Rahm won the Mexico Open last year by one stroke over Brandon Wu, Kurt Kitayama, and Tony Finau. In the final round, Finau and Wu scored an 8-under 63 to put pressure on Jon Rahm, who needed to get up-and-down from a fairway bunker to save par on the 72nd hole to win. The longest winless streak of his PGA Tour career ended a year ago.
Rahm said he was playing "really quality golf" but couldn't finish tournaments. He tied for third at The Open Championship, third at The Northern Trust, and second at both the TOUR Championship and Sentry Tournament of Champions. Despite not winning again in 2023, Rahm's performance has been legendary. After the calendar turned, he won back-to-back starts and nearly won the WM Phoenix Open before winning the Genesis Invitational. His green jacket triumph makes him four in four months and the No. 1 in the world.
To win on Tour, you need more than grit, luck, and mental toughness. Rahm has performed well on the course. He ranks first in Strokes Gained: Total, third in Approach the Green, and 17th in Putting. Scottie Scheffler, second on Tour with a scoring average of 68.82, is about a half-stroke lower than his.
Jon Rahm reviewed his ambitions before winning The Masters, considering all he's accomplished on the golf course this year. Rahm has won many times this season following two tournaments. Rahm stated that the Mexican fans have adopted him as one of their own even though he's far from Spain and doesn't have his green jacket.
Rahm stated,
"If I can be an inspiration to anyone, great. If I can inspire someone who maybe didn’t have the means to play golf early on, it’s even better.”
Rahm will have more backing from Mexican fans this year than last year, when he went winless. He's also winning at a record pace.
He's eager to start again after his hectic April.