This week’s field was anything but loaded. Jon Rahm and Tony Finau were the lone household names who made the trip south of the border. And after 54 holes those two players have found themselves at the top of the leaderboard. It appears we’re in for a clash of the Titans at the 2023 Mexico Open at Vidanta.
The Spaniard trailed Finau by six shots entering Saturday but he caught fire at Vidanta Vallarta. Rahm signed for a third-round bogey-free 10-under 61 — a tournament record — and is now just two strokes behind Big Tone.
Finau, who opened with rounds of 65-64, began his day with a birdie at the first. His opening nine wasn’t too exciting after that, although he did add another birdie at the seventh.
After a few pars to start his second half, Finau strung together three straight birdies on Nos. 12-14 then added another on the 16th. He gave one away at the par-3 17th after failing to convert a six-foot par putt, however, he got it right back with a birdie at the last.
Finau (19 under) signed for a third-round 6-under 65 and will tee off Sunday afternoon with a two-stroke lead over Rahm and Akshay Bhatia.
If you missed any of the action on Saturday, no worries, we have you covered. Get caught up on the third round of the 2023 Mexico Open below.
Mexico Open: Sunday tee times | Photos
Jon Rahm of Spain plays his shot from the 7th tee during the third round of the Mexico Open at Vidanta on April 29, 2023, in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
This man is inevitable.
When he’s in the field, he’s going to be near or at the lead with 18 holes to play. There’s no avoiding it.
Rahm began the day six shots back of Finau but made up the ground quickly with an easy bogey-free 6-under 29 on the front. He’d add three more circles to the card on Nos. 12-14 to get to 9 under for the day. Then, at the par-3 17th, the Spaniard drained a 37-foot birdie putt that, at the time, tied Finau for the lead.
He wasn’t able to take advantage of the closing par 5 and signed for a 10-under 61.
“Today, everything just seemed perfect, right? Made a lot of great swings and the ones that weren’t great, still gave myself a good result,” he said after the round.
If Rahm is able to close it out tomorrow, it will mark his fifth win of the season. Quick reminder: it’s only April.
With a win tomorrow, Jon Rahm would be the first player with 5 wins in a PGA Tour season before May 1 since Johnny Miller in 1974.
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) April 29, 2023
Akshay Bhatia of the United States plays his shot from the second tee during the third round of the Mexico Open at Vidanta at Vidanta Vallarta on April 29, 2023, in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images,)
Bhatia, a 21-year-old born in Los Angeles, played wonderfully on Saturday. He signed for an 8-under 63 and sits two back of Finau at T-2 with Rahm.
He’s played well several times on Tour this season, including a runner-up to Nico Echavarria at the Puerto Rico Open in March. Bhatia tied for 17th at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship during the wrap-around season and grabbed a top 25 at the Corales Puntacana Championship a month ago.
However, thanks to his great Day 3 south of the border, Bhatia is now in position to win for the first time on golf’s biggest stage.
He opened his third round with a birdie-birdie-bogey stretch on Nos. 2-4 and did it again on Nos. 6-8 to make the turn with a 2-under 33. Bhatia’s back nine was cleaner, putting circles on the card at Nos. 12, 14, 15 and 16 before making an eagle at the par-5 last thanks to a 208-yard approach to a mere eight feet.
Hit the shot, walk after it 💪@AkshayBhatia_1 finishes his round of 63 with an eagle @MexicoOpenGolf. pic.twitter.com/3HHvu1bmhr
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 29, 2023
“Just do the same thing,” he said when asked about his feeling for tomorrow. “Today was amazing because I felt very calm and I’m just putting myself more and more in this position. And I know I’m capable of winning, obviously won on the Korn Ferry Tour, so I know what the feelings feel like going into tomorrow.
“We’re just going to have fun.”
A general view of the pin flag during the pro-am prior to the Mexico Open at Vidanta at Vidanta Vallarta on April 26, 2023, in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
According to Windy.com, Sunday is going to be another perfect day for golf. Temperatures are expected to reach the high 80s while winds are projected to stay below 10 mph.
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