Vallarta, Mexico – Tony Finau kicked off what was a disappointing 2022 with a runner-up finish at the Mexican Open in Vedanta. He moved into position to score better Friday, hitting a 7-under 64 to take a one-shot lead through two innings.
Finau, second-best in the field after world number one and champion John Ramm, made five birdies in the front nine—none longer than 11 feet. After four consecutive pars, he holed a 30-foot putt on the par-3 5th hole for the first of three consecutive birdies.
The 33-year-old Finau was the 13-under-129 in Vedanta Vallarta, better than Brandon Wu – who finished alongside him in a tie for second last year – and Eric Van Rooyen. Wu closed with three consecutive birdies for 64; Van Rooyen shot 66.
Playing for the second time since winning the Masters, Ram hit a snag in afternoon conditions when his tee shot on the 142-yard par 9th hole fell and it found water, resulting in a double bogey. He took a long 10th, but rallied with four birdies in the last eight holes to shoot a 68. Ram was six shots back.
“We played eight decently easy holes compared to how windy it can get here and then it got pretty windy in a tough spot, right? Nine and ten aren’t the easiest holes on a golf course and we picked up a corkscrew there. I wish I’d I could have handled that a little better.”
“That’s the way a golf course is supposed to be played, I think. I think it was built so that there would be some wind, and so that’s the defense.”
Finau had only finished 15th last year before tying for second in Vedanta. He later won back-to-back weeks at the 3M Open and the Rocket Mortgage Classic, then picked up another win at the Houston Open last fall for his fifth PGA Tour victory.
Since then, he hasn’t missed a cut but has never been seriously contested, with a best finish of tied for seventh at Kapalua in January. It is the sixteenth in the world.
“Sometimes you have to surf with your paddle all season. I haven’t put it great statistically the last couple of months, but things are changing quickly,” said Finau. “This was a place where a lot of things changed for me last season.”
Raul Pereda, a Mexico City native making his PGA Tour debut on the sponsor’s exemption, drilled a 3-wood from 249 yards, the longest hole on the tour this season, for an eagle at 511 yards 16. His putt landed on the front of the green and was rolling fast when it hit flag and fell.
Pereda could not see the score from the fairway and beat the camera operator when he got confirmation that his ball was in the hole. Shot 70 and had six bullets in the back.
Andrew Putnam (66), Will Gordon (66), Eric Cole (69), first-round captain Austin Smotherman (70) and Akshay Bhatia (65) were four shots clear of the lead.
Wu is under 25 in his last four Vedanta outings.
“I really enjoy the course, there are a lot of birdies out there, so if I can focus on staying within myself, and not get caught up in trying to win for the first time or whatever, I think I can have a good weekend,” said Wu.
Van Rooyen, a South African seeking his second PGA Tour win, has parried three of his last four holes and has been feeling comfortable at this resort off the Bay of Banderas on Mexico’s Pacific coast.
“Great little food carts on the beach there, it’s beautiful at night. There’s a lot to love about this place,” he said.
Van Rooyen took three months off last year to deal with nagging injuries, including neck and lower back spasms.
“It took me a while to find my flow again and find some momentum and get up front. It looks like things are starting to shift, which is great,” he said.