VALLARTA, Mexico — The trend of international winners on the PGA Tour continued at the Mexico Open, where three players, Jeremy Paul from Germany, Kris Ventura of Norway, and Harry Hall from England, emerged as co-leaders after finishing the day at 7-under 64. This marked a continuation of the recurring theme this season, with six out of seven events featuring winners from abroad.
Playing early on, Hall managed to navigate the challenging winds at Vidanta Vallarta adeptly. He impressively chipped in from 30 yards for an eagle on the sixth hole, a par-5, and then took a bold approach on the 297-yard seventh hole by driving the green. After an eagle attempt, he settled for a birdie and followed up with two more pars to close his round.
Ventura and Paul took advantage of slightly calmer conditions later in the day. With 70 players in the field of 132 managing to break 70, it was clear that good scoring was possible. Ventura, who was the only player to briefly reach 8-under after nailing three consecutive birdies late in his round, had a frustrating finish on the par-3 ninth. He missed the green, chipped to ten feet, and failed to convert the par putt. Reflecting on his performance, Ventura expressed disappointment about the final hole but felt solid overall, recognizing that a day like this may not happen every time.
On the other hand, Paul also boasted a remarkable performance with two eagles. He achieved one eagle on the reachable seventh hole and another on the par-5 12th after hitting an impressive 3-wood shot from 309 yards to within 12 feet of the cup. Paul was pleasantly surprised that his shot made it all the way, attributing it to the wind giving him a boost. However, while attempting to take the lead on the final hole, his strategy did not play out as he intended, and he found himself in water behind the green after an errant shot. Still, he managed to salvage a par with a skilled pitch from 50 yards.
Trailing just behind the leaders, five players were within striking distance. Stephan Jaeger had been on track at 6-under through 11 holes but ended with disappointment after playing the three par-5s on the back nine at 1 over, finishing with a bogey after going into the water on the 18th hole.
Among the participants, only Harris English from Georgia stands out as the sole American winner on tour this year, having secured victory at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January. However, the rest of the season has predominantly favored international competitors, with winners hailing from various countries including Japan, Canada, Austria, Northern Ireland, Belgium, and Sweden.
As the Mexico Open progresses, low scores suggest there will be plenty of opportunities for movement up and down the leaderboard. Defending champion Jake Knapp managed to finalize his round at 67, making birdies on three of his final five holes, while Aaron Rai from England, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 29, matched that score of 67.
