World No. 2 Ram's 'Mexico Away Match'... "In a Hurry for the Season's First Win~"

Opening Night on the 28th: Mexico Championship Kickoff, Anser and Ortiz 'Mexico Duo' Defend Home Course

World No. 2 Jon Rahm is aiming for his first win of the season on his 'Mexico expedition'.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "The battle for Number 1 is ongoing."

It is the 'Mexico expedition' of Jon Rahm (Spain), world No. 2. After the first major of the season, the Masters, three weeks ago, he declared his participation in the Mexico Open (total prize money $7.3 million), which opens on the night of the 28th (Korean time) at the Vidanta Golf Course in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (par 71, 7,456 yards). Patrick Reed and Gary Woodland (both from the USA) have joined the competition for the title, while the 'Mexico duo' Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz are defending their home course.

Rahm is the first Spanish national to become a 'US Open champion,' achieving this in June last year. It is interesting that he was leading by as much as six strokes on the third day of the Memorial Tournament but had to withdraw due to a COVID-19 diagnosis, losing a victory that seemed within reach. He succeeded in 'avenging' that with his major win. However, the 2021 season saw a lack of wins, with two second-place finishes and three third-place finishes. In particular, at the Tour Championship, the final third playoff event in September, he posted the best score of 14 under par among 30 players but could not overcome the 'stroke bonus' barrier.

Rahm started as the 4th seed (6 under par) and finished at 20 under par, while Patrick Cantlay (USA), the 1st seed (10 under par), added 11 under par to claim a one-stroke victory (21 under par). This year, too, he has repeatedly faced disappointment, finishing runner-up at the Sentry Tournament in January and third at the Farmers Insurance Open. Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler (USA) swept four wins and even took the No. 1 spot. This is why Rahm is flying all the way to Mexico to ignite his fighting spirit.

Abraham Ancer took on the challenge of defending his title at the Mexico Championship, his 'home course'.

Taking advantage of Scheffler's rest, Rahm's strategy is to secure his first win of the season and gain chase points. Ancer's strength is formidable. After winning the World Golf Championships (WGC) FedEx St. Jude Invitational last August, he reached the quarterfinals of the Dell Technologies Match Play in March, showing particular strength in high-stakes matches. The 'K Brothers'?Kang Sung-hoon (35, CJ Logistics), Noh Seung-yeol (32), and Bae Sang-moon (36)?are also looking for opportunities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.