PGA Tour Picks: WGC-Mexico Championship

By Tom LaMarre

Tiger Woods, who has won a record 18 World Golf Championships, is one of several top players skipping the WGC-Mexico Championship this week, but even if Dustin Johnson wins again, Woods’ mark is not close to being in jeopardy.

Johnson, the only player to complete the WGC Grand Slam, earned his second victory in the last three years at Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico City, but he is a distant second to Woods with six WGC titles.

Woods finished 68th and dead last among those who made the cut in the Genesis Invitational that he hosts at Riviera Country Club last week, but even before that he said he wasn’t going to Mexico, where he tied for 10th last year.

“I’ve been so busy with (the Genesis) and trying to deal with all the little things that I haven’t really focused on next week,” Woods said.

Among the others passing on the trip to Mexico are second-ranked Brooks Koepka, who still is dealing with a knee injury, and sixth-ranked Patrick Cantlay, who is undergoing septum surgery now so he will be healthy for the Players Championship in three weeks and the Masters in April.

Also missing are Justin Rose of England, Jason Day of Australia and Henrik Stenson of Sweden.

Jordan Spieth qualified for the first WGC tournament of the year by tying for ninth at Pebble Beach two weeks ago to climb into the top 50 of the World Golf Rankings, but three-time WGC winner Phil Mickelson won’t be there because he missed the cut at Riviera and remains outside the top 50 by eight spots.

Top-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland probably is the co-favorite along with Johnson after winning the WGC-HSBC Champions in China in November with a birdie on the first playoff hole to turn back 10th-ranked Xander Schauffele.

McIlroy also won the 2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the 2015 WGC-Match Play, and with a victory this week will join Johnson as the only players to complete the WGC Grand Slam.

“WGCs are some of the biggest tournaments we play,” said McIlroy, who has finished in the top 10 twice in the WGC-Mexico. “It’s always, you know, the strongest fields. You’re playing against the best players in the world. To win those events, it means that you’ve done something very well. I had a good chance to win in Mexico (last year), finished second.

“I’ve always enjoyed WGCs. I think it was a real thrill to get into those fields for the first time, and then to progress and to win a couple of them and be in contention in some of them, and you’re going up against some of the best players in the world. I think as a competitor, that’s what I want to do. I want to go up against the best players in the world more often, and you really get a chance to do that at these events.”

Two-time WGC winners in the field include Adam Scott of Australia, who won on Sunday at Riviera, Hideki Matsuyama of Japan and Bubba Watson, so even with several players missing there’s still plenty of star-power in Mexico City.

BEST BETS

1. Dustin Johnson, United States – Defending champion in Mexico claimed a five-stroke victory last year for his sixth World Golf Championships title, second only to Tiger Woods’ 18, and it was DJ’s third in two seasons. Johnson is the only player to win all four WGC tournaments. Tied for 10th at Riviera after a tie for seventh in Sentry TOC.
2. Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland – Captured the WGC-HSBC Champions in China three months ago, giving him 25 top-10finishes in the series and needs only to win in Mexico to complete the WGC Grand Slam. Closed with 73 at Riviera last week and faded to a tie for fifth. Rory also has recorded ties for third in Zozo and Farmers this season.
3. Adam Scott, Australia – Climbed to seventh in the World Golf Rankings with his 31st professional victory and 14th on the PGA Tour on Sunday in the Genesis Invitational after winning Australian PGA in December. Scott won this WGC tournament the last year it was held at Doral in Miami in 2017, and he also captured the 2011 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, two of his 15 top-10 finishes in the WGC events in his career.
4. Xander Schauffele, United States – Has recorded six top-20 finishes in his first 10 WGC starts, including a victory in the 2018 WGC-HSBC Champions in China, and was second in his title defense in November. No. 10 in the world, Schauffele tied for 23rd in the Genesis after in losing a playoff at the Sentry TOC and tying for 16th in Phoenix.
5. Jon Rahm, Spain – The No. 3 player in the world has yet to win a WGC event, but he tied for third in 2017 WGC-Mexico, lost to Dustin Johnson in 2018 WGC-Match Play final and was seventh in 2019 WGC-FedEx St. Jude. Rahm tied for 17th at Riviera after tying for ninth in Phoenix, finishing second in Farmers and placing 10th in Sony TOC.
6. Justin Thomas, United States – The fourth-ranked player in the world has missed the cut in two of his last three starts, but also claimed his 12th PGA Tour victory in the Sony TOC and tie for third in Phoenix. Thomas claimed his first WGC victory in the 2018 FedEx-St. Jude and has three other top-10 finishes, including ninth in Mexico last year.
7. Webb Simpson, United States – Has risen to No. 7 in the world and second in the FedEx Cup standings after winning in Phoenix, finishing second in RSM Classic and third in Sony TOC this season. Simpson’s best finish in the WGC events was second in the 2019 FedEx St. Jude, one of his four top-10 results in the World Golf Championships.
8. Matt Kuchar, United States – Kooch failed to close out what would have been his 10th PGA Tour victory and tied for second at Riviera, where he held at least a share of the lead after each of the first three rounds. Won Singapore Open recently and claimed his only WGC title in the 2013 Match Play, one of his 13 top-10 finish in the series.
9. Bubba Watson, United States – A two-time winner in the World Golf Championships, having captured the 2014 WGC-HSBC Champions and the 2015 WGC-Dell Match Play by beating Kevin Kisner in the final, 7 and 6, for two of his 14 top-10 results in the series. Missed the cut at Riviera after tying for third in Phoenix and tying sixth in the Farmers.
10. Shane Lowry, Ireland – Before capturing the 148th Open Championship last year by six strokes at Royal Portrush, Lowry’s biggest victory came in the 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. He tied for 13th in the Zozo Championship and the Saudi International, and tied for 11th in Omega Dubai Desert Classic in his most recent events.

OTHER PLAYERS TO WATCH: Gary Woodland, United States; Cameron Smith, Australia; Bryson DeChambeau, United States; Tommy Fleetwood, England; Tony Finau, United States; Patrick Reed, United States; Paul Casey, England; Marc Leishman, Australia; Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa; Sungjae Im, South Korea.

SLEEPERS

1. Abraham Ancer, Mexico – His two pro victories include 2018 Australian Open and he played well in the Presidents Cup in December. Finished T-4 in 2019 WGC-HSBC.
2. Ryo Ishikawa, Japan – Won three times on the Japan Tour last season, giving him 17 career victories. Best finish in WGCs was a T-4 in the 2011 FedEx St. Jude Invitational.
3. Kurt Kitayama, United States – Former star at UNLV has won on the Euro Tour each of the last two years and finished T-28 in his first WGC event in November in China.
4. Victor Perez, France – After claiming his first Euro Tour victory in the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, he finished T-4 in WGC-HSBC Champions in November.
5. Shugo Imahira, Japan – Leading money-winner on Japan Tour in 2019 has six pro victories, including two last year. Finished T-27 in 2019 FedEx St. Jude Invitational.

For first-round tee times, visit https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html