Hideki Matsuyama may not have gone off with triple-digit odds like the first six winners on the PGA Tour this season, but he was certainly still a long shot.
The Japanese star was +8000 ahead of Riviera and came through on a wild Sunday that saw him surge past the pack and get us to the window for the first time in 2024.
This week, the Tour leaves California and heads south of the border for the 2024 Mexico Open.
After back-to-back signature events, the Mexico Open will feel like a bit of a lull in the golf calendar.
The field is pretty soft and it’s in a tricky spot on the schedule as a lot of players will opt to skip it and head to Florida to prepare for the month-long swing through the Sunshine State.
Defending champion Tony Finau is the betting favorite this week at +900, and he’s the only player in the single-digits as of Wednesday aftenroon.
That Nicolai Hojgaard (+1400), Keith Mitchell (+2200), Stephen Jaeger (+2500) and Taylor Pendrith (+2500) round out the top five on the betting board tells you everything you need to know about this field.
Here are this week’s long-shot picks:
It’s been a rough start to 2024 for Robert MacIntyre, but it is really hard to overlook this price, considering his talent, this field and this course.
MacIntyre has missed the cut in his last three events, but we know he’s got the game to get white hot on a moment’s notice.
MacIntyre’s form in 2023 was strong enough to earn him a spot on the Ryder Cup team and he was one shot away from winning the Scottish Open in July.
The Scottish Southpaw is one of the most talented players in this field and if was in even OK form, he would be going off as one of the favorites in this event.
These kinds of tournaments seem to jive with Harry Hall.
The 26-year-old finished seventh at the Puerto Rico Open, 13th at the Corales Puntacana Championship and was 10th at last year’s Mexico Open.
Hall hasn’t lit it up in 2023, but he was solid enough in a 41st-place finish at the Phoenix Open two weeks ago.
Hall’s ability with the putter makes him a worthwhile longshot in a tournament that should turn into a birdie-fest.