GOLF

PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the Mexico Open at Vidanta

By Alex Hunter @Hunta512
Feb 16, 2025

The PGA TOUR travels to Vidanta Vallarta (par 71, 7,436 yards, paspalum greens) for the Mexico Open. Vidanta Vallarta has been the home of the Mexico Open since it was added to the annual PGA TOUR schedule in 2022. Jake Knapp is the defending champion of this event and won by two shots at -19 last season. This week’s field features 132 golfers, and there will be a standard top-65 and ties cut following the first two rounds.

The PGA DFS Breakdown offers data-driven analysis for each week’s slate, using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics to highlight notable golfers.

I’ll be highlighting the best cash game/single-entry plays on the DraftKings main slate, but these players are often great options in any contest.

My analysis will frequently reference Strokes Gained, a set of proprietary metrics generated by the PGA TOUR using millions of data points to calculate how many shots, on average, it takes a player to get the ball in the hole from every distance and situation.

Strokes Gained is now available in the FantasyLabs PGA Models.

There are a variety of Strokes Gained-related metrics, but the six main categories you need to know include:

Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (SG: Off-the-Tee)
Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: Approach)
Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (SG: Around-the-Green)
Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: Putting)
Strokes Gained: Ball-Striking (SG: Ball-Striking), which is SG: Off-the-Tee + SG: Approach
Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (SG: Tee-to-Green), which is SG: Ball-Striking + SG: Around-the-Green

Don’t forget to check out two key metrics in our models — Perfect% and SimLeverage. You can find an explainer on those metrics here.

The CliffsNotes version is that you can use SimLeverage to quickly find leverage plays in tournaments, while Perfect% is great for finding the best price-considered plays for cash games.

And don’t forget to utilize our various PGA DFS tools like our Lineup Optimizer, Lineup Builder, PGA Correlation Dashboard, and our Trends tool.

The following players listed are based on DraftKings scoring and pricing.

PGA DFS Cash Game Thoughts

Note: FantasyLabs has partnered with Betsperts Golf and the Rabbit Hole! Sign up for the biggest database of golf stats available on the internet and get 25% off a yearly sub with our link!

Unless otherwise noted, all Strokes Gained metrics referenced in this article come via the Rabbit Hole.

Tool Highlights

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DraftKings $10,000+ Range

Akshay Bhatia ($10,700)

Bhatia is worth this slate-high salary. The 23-year-old has made seven cuts in a row and is coming off his best finish of the season with a T9 at the Genesis Invitational last week. Competing against the PGA TOUR’s best players at this Signature Event and in the difficult conditions at the South Course of Torrey Pines, Bhatia carded a pair of 5-under 67s and he gained strokes on approach and with his putter for the third consecutive start. Bhatia will now look to carry this momentum over to the Vidanta Vallarta, where he finished T4th last season. Since then, Bhatia has won on the PGA TOUR and he has been extremely close to winning on other occasions with two runner-up finishes. Bhahtia sits a whopping 253 spots higher in the world golf rankings than when he teed it up at Vidanta Vallarta last season and he should contend for a win in this weak field. Of all the golfers playing this week that have competed on paspalum greens more than once, Bhatia ranks first in career Strokes Gained per round, via the Rabbit Hole.

Now available: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Patrick Rogers ($9,500)

Rodgers isn’t far behind Bhatia for the top overall option this week and is a steal at this $9,500 price tag. Rodgers has competed at every Mexico Open and he has been stellar at Vidanta Vallarta, finishing T10th, T10th and T6th, in that order. Of all the players in this field that have competed at this par 71 more than once, Rodgers ranks first in Strokes Gained per round at Vidanta Vallarta by a wide margin. The 32-year-old has shot under par in all 12 of his rounds at the track, including a 7-under 64 in 2023. On top of the field-best course history, Rodgers is on the heels of a T3 at the Genesis Invitational last week, which was obviously a much stronger field as a Signature Event. Rodgers is easily one of the most talented players competing this week, and him finishing outside the top 10 would be a surprise.

Aaron Rai ($9,400)

Rai is the highest-ranked golfer teeing it up this week and a smart target for cash games. The Englishman is a very consistent player who has advanced to the weekend in 19 of his last 21 starts, which is a run that includes six top-10 finishes, most notably with his first PGA TOUR win at the Wyndham Championship last August. Rai ranks top-six in both SG: Tee-to-Green and SG: Approach over his last 50 rounds, and he has finished inside the top-25 in two of his three starts at Vidanta Vallarta.

DraftKings $8,000 Range

Jake Knapp ($8,600)

Knapp made 5-of-6 cuts this season, and his best finish of the season came last week with a T17 at the Genesis Invitational, in which he gained strokes in every major category at the South Course, except with his putter. Given the South Course is a very long track like Vidanata Vallarta—these two venues are the first and fourth longest courses on the PGA TOUR this season, respectively—Knapp’s strong finish this past week was a promising sign that he should make some noise in his title defense at the Mexico Open.

C.T. Pan ($8,300)

After finishing T29th at Vidanta Vallarta in 2022, Pan carded a T3 finish at the par 71 last season, including a closing round 6-under 65, which was the lowest score of the final round. Pan now returns to Vidanta Vallarta with three top-25 finishes in his last four starts. Pan ranks 10th in SG: Tee-to-Green when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds and is a great value at this salary.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

Carson Young ($7,700)

Young has been excellent at Vidanta Vallarta, finishing T15th and T8th at the venue the last two years. This results in an 11.5 place average at the par 71, which ranks second of the players in this week’s field that have competed at Vidanta Vallarta more than once. As for his current form, Young has made six of his last eight cuts, including a runner-up at the World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal in November, which, like Vidanta Vallarta, is a long course that features paspalum greens. Young ranks 11th in SG: Off-the-Tee over his last 50 rounds, and with him in terrific form as a driver, Young should continue to flourish at Vidanta Vallarta. Notably, all three of the victors at this lengthy track have finished the event top-11 in SG: Off-the-Tee.

Ryan Gerard ($7,600)

Gerard has made five of his last six cuts with a T15 at the Farmers Insurance Open in his most recent start. Gerard was one of only 13 golfers to gain strokes across the board in the tough conditions at Torrey Pines, which is a telling sign that his game is firing on all cylinders right now. Gerard ranks third in birdies when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds and he finished T33rd in his lone start at Vidanta Vallarta two years ago. Sitting 76 spots higher in the world golf rankings this time around, Gerard should outdo himself with a higher finish in his second attempt at the track.

Kevin Roy ($7,400)

Excluding his withdrawal from the Farmers Insurance Open last month, Roy has made five of his last six cuts with four top-20 finishes when we combine his results on the PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour. During this stretch, Roy has shot under par in 16 of his 23 rounds. Plus, he impressively leads the PGA TOUR in total driving this season. Vidanta Vallarta is a course that favors elite drivers, and Roy brings terrific upside for a player this cheap. In his only start at Vidanta Vallarta two years ago, Roy finished T18th, including a third-round 6-under 65, which is one stroke shy of his career low on the PGA TOUR.

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DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range

Hayden Springer ($6,800)

Expect Springer to bounce back at the Mexico Open after missing the cut at the WM Phoenix Open in his last start. Springer missing the weekend at TPC Scottsdale wasn’t overly surprising given it was his debut at the course, and before this, he had finished T6th at the Farmers Insurance Open, which was his fourth made cut in a row. Springer ranks first in Par-5 efficiency when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds, and he posted a solid T38 in his first attempt at Vidanta Vallarta last season. Now sitting 268 spots higher in the world golf rankings, Springer brings top-25 upside at the track and is a compelling punt play at this sub-$7,000 salary.

Will Gordon ($6,800)

Gordon finished T24th in his only start at Vidanta Vallarta in 2023, and he has only missed one cut in his last six starts coming into this week. Just last month, Gordon finished T7th at the Farmers Insurance Open while gaining strokes in every major category at Torrey Pines. Gordon ranks ninth in SG: Off-the-Tee over his last 24 rounds, and his strong driving should translate into at least making a cut at the lengthy Vidanta Vallarta this week.