Bees — not birds — were the talk of the opening round of the Mexican Open on Thursday.
The trio of Eric Van Rooyen, Chase Revy and Francesco Molinari were hiding when a swarm of bees flew around them on the 10th hole in Vallarta, Mexico.
Standing over the shot with a four-iron, South African Van Rooyen said, “Bees! Bees! Bees!” Before long, Reavie, Molinari, and the wheels hit the grass to avoid the swarm.
“I just told the can, ‘Bees, bees, bees,’” Van Rooyen said, looking at me like I was crazy. “So I go down, and then he sees them, and he goes down. Frankie and Chase, they look at me like I’m crazy, and 30 seconds later the bees go at them. It’s funny, but they sure don’t want to be stung by these bad boys.”
“I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Perhaps the bee swarm was nothing FredVR_ He saw the crew coming @tweet 😅 pic.twitter.com/4RjzysQ5qx
– PGA Tour (PGATOUR) April 27, 2023
The funny moment seemed to galvanize Van Rooyen, who played his last five holes at a 4-under, sitting once back from leader Austin Smotherman after a 7-under 64. That round included a 15th-ranked eagle when he holed for 141 yards. He also had a pair of birdies on the 5’s on the back nine.
Smotherman closed with four straight birdies for 8-under-63.
Masters champion John Rahm, who won the Mexican Open in Vedanta his only PGA Tour title a year ago, had five birdies in his last 11 holes to overcome a slow start to a par of 67.
Smotherman is not winning on the PGA Tour. He won the Mexican Open in 2018 on a different golf course – held in Tijuana that year – and when he was part of the PGA Tour Latinoamerica schedule.
However, the Mexican Open dates back to 1944. His name is on the trophy along with Ben Crenshaw, Billy Casper, Lee Trevino, Bobby Locke and Roberto De Vicenzo.
“I mean, I still get a little chills thinking about it,” Smotherman said. “Just the reception, winning an event like that, the Mexican Open, which has such a deep history. There are names on that trophy that are in the Hall of Fame.
“National openness anywhere is very special.”
Smotherman played a game without a ghost in Vidanta Vallarta. He only missed three greens on a great morning. The final time was on the last hole, par 9, par 3, and he birdied his eighth birdie of the round.
Tanu Joya played a bogey-free game and finished with a birdie from the left of the green on the 5th 18th.
Tony Finau was among five 65-year-old players, one of whom felt just as good as Smotherman. Raul Pereda of Mexico, who played college golf at Jacksonville University, made his PGA Tour debut as an exempt sponsor at his home country’s Open.
Pereda missed the PGA 4-foot 18th, but he had no complaints about his first time playing on the PGA Tour.
His Jacksonville coach, Mike Blackburn, texted him before his first inning to enjoy every shot as it came out. He followed the plan perfectly.
“I’m going to have a cold glass after this ride today with my dad and keep it very simple,” Pereda said. “I don’t think I need to get ahead myself. It’s just like every other Tour event I’m allowed. It’s 18 holes a day, 18 just birdie opportunities, stick to every shot.”
Ram is playing for the second time in three weeks since winning the Masters title. His start was less than perfect in the best of weather. He twice failed to get on and off the green, missing a putt from 6 feet.
But his round started to turn when he took an aggressive over-the-water line and left the pin to about 7 feet on the par-3 17 and holed the putt for one of only two birdies on that hole in the first round.
He finished with a 25-foot birdie putt, his third birdie putt of 15 or more feet.
“Those first 13 holes we had almost no wind, conditions as easy as can be. I wish I could have gotten more out of it,” Ram said. “I’m glad I played as well as I did on the nine defenses and capped off with a putt on the last hole.”
Information from the Associated Press is used in this report.