The PGA TOUR heads south of the border this week for the inaugural Mexico Open at Vidanta Vallarta. 

The tournament doesn’t seem to be a priority for many of the game’s top players, as Jon Rahm is the only top-10 player in the field. Rahm is a ridiculous +350 to win the event, which could end up being the shortest pre-tournament price we see all season on TOUR.

And while betting a tournament like this — where the field is soft and there’s almost no data on the course — is challenging, it also opens the door for punters who like to shop down the board and play some longshots. 

That’s where we’ll be looking for our five first-round leader bets at the 2022 Mexico Open: 

Wyndham Clark (+8000): One of the longest hitters on TOUR, Wyndham Clark is starting to find some decent form. Coming off a T10 finish at the Zurich Classic with Cameron Tringale, Clark seems to have turned his season around a bit after missing three straight cuts in February and March. Clark ranks T22 in Round 1 scoring average, so he’s also made a habit of getting out of the gates well this season.

J.T. Poston (+9000): J.T. Poston showed his ability to get scorching hot out of nowhere with a 64 in the final round of the RBC Heritage two weeks ago. That third-place finish should give Poston some momentum as we head to a resort-style course that should feature plenty of scoring opportunities if you can finish them off with the flat stick. Poston has proven to be a terrific putter over his career, so he’s always got the potential to go low if the rest of his game clicks on Thursday.

Hayden Buckley (+11000): Earlier in the year, Hayden Buckley was starting to get some buzz as a dark horse in deeper fields. It made sense as the Missouri alum posted two top-8 finishes in the fall swing and then opened 2022 with a T12 at the Sony Open. Buckley has not been good since then, but he did finish T12 at the Corales Puntacana Championship, which is another resort-style course that featured a soft field. Buckley ranks 13th on TOUR in Strokes Gained: Off the tee, so he should have plenty of scoring opportunities on this long course.

Callum Tarren (+11000): Vidanta Vallarta is a long course with inviting fairways, so it should play to the strengths of Tarren, who ranks 18th on TOUR in Strokes Gained: Off the tee and 24th in driving distance. The Englishman also posted a T5 finish at the Puerto Rico Open, which features a similar set-up and field as this week’s Mexico Open.

Paul Barjon (+18000): Similar to Tarren, this is just a play on Paul Barjon’s ability to drive the golf ball. Barjon’s recent form has been ugly, but the Frenchman ranks T25 in driving distance so if this course does play like a bomber’s paradise, Barjon could benefit and provide some value at a great price.