Slow week in golf as PGA Tour goes to Mexico and LPGA begins a swing through Asia
MEXICO OPEN AT VIDANTAWORLD
Site: Vallarta, Mexico.
Course: Vallarta Vidanta. Yardage: 7,436. Par: 71.
Prize money: $7 million. Winner's share: $1.26 million.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 4-7 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (NBC).
Defending champion: Jake Knapp.
FedEx Cup leader: Ludvig Aberg.
Last week: Ludvig Aberg won the Genesis Invitational.
Notes: The Mexico Open technically is on the western coast of America, but it's the start of NBC's coverage until the Masters. ... Aaron Rai (No. 29) is the highest-ranked player in a field that features only four from the top 50. ... The 132-man field includes six additional sponsor exemptions set aside for Latin American players. That list includes Alvaro Ortiz, a former Latin American Amateur champion and the younger brother of Carlos Ortiz. ... Padraig Harrington is in the field. He played three times on the European tour earlier this year. ... The winner gets an invitation to the Masters. Only 11 players in the field are already in the Masters. That includes two amateurs, U.S. Amateur champion Jose Luis Ballester and Latin American Amateur champion Justin Hastings. ... Blades Brown, the latest teenager to turn pro, has received another sponsor exemption. He missed the cut in The American Express.
Next week: Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches.
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LPGA Tour
HONDA LPGA THAILAND
Site: Chonburi, Thailand.
Course: Siam CC (Old). Yardage: 6,632. Par: 72.
Prize money: $1.7 million. Winner's share: $255,000.
Television: Wednesday-Thursday, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 10:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: Patty Tavatanakit.
Race to CME Globe leader: A Lim Kim.
Last tournament: Yealimi Noh won the Founders Cup.
Notes: This starts the first Asia swing on the LPGA Tour, which goes from Thailand to Singapore to China. There will be another Asia swing in the fall. ... Seven of the top 10 in the women's world ranking are playing in Thailand. That does not include Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko, the top two players. ... The two LPGA winners this season are in the field, A Lim Kim (Tournament of Champions) and Yealimi Noh (Founders Cup). ... The field includes Japanese twins Akie and Chisato Iwai, who both earned cards through LPGA qualifying last year. They are playing on sponsor exemptions. ... Another exemption went to Gianna Clemente, best known for getting into three straight LPGA events through Monday qualifying at age 14 in the late summer of 2022. ... Patty Tavatanakit won the tournament last year, joining Ariya Jutanugarn (2021) as the only Thai players to win on home soil.
Next week: HSBC Women's World Championship.
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European Tour
MAGICAL KENYA OPEN
Site: Nairobi, Kenya.
Course: Muthaiga GC. Yardage: 7,208. Par: 71.
Prize money: $2.5 million. Winner's share: $416,667.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 5-10 a.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 4:30-9 a.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 4-9 a.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: Darius Van Driel.
Race to Dubai leader: Tyrrell Hatton.
Notes: This is the first of three stops on the African continent. ... The field does not include anyone from the top 100 in the world ranking. ... Haotong Li is coming off a victory in the Qatar Masters. ... Brandon Wu, Troy Merritt and Callum Tarren are playing under a category that awards spots to PGA Tour players who finished between No. 126 and 200 in the FedEx Cup last year. ... This is the sixth year for the Kenya Open to be part of the European tour. It was on the Challenge Tour schedule dating to 1991. ... Among the past champions are Seve Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam and Trevor Immelman. ... No American has ever won the Kenya Open since it began in 1967 as an associate event for what initially became the Safari Circuit. ... Tyrrell Hatton remains atop the Race to Dubai from his victory in the Dubai Desert Classic, a Rolex event. ... The European tour will be in South Africa the next two weeks.
Last tournament: Haotong Li won the Qatar Masters.
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LIV Golf League
Last week: Joaquin Niemann won LIV Golf Adelaide.
Next tournament: LIV Golf Hong Kong on March 7-9.
Points leader: Adrian Meronk.
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PGA Tour Champions
Last week: Justin Leonard won the Chubb Classic.
Next tournament: Cologuard Classic on March 7-9.
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Ernie Els.
Online: https://www.pgatour.com/pgatour-champions
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Korn Ferry Tour
Last tournament: Kyle Westmoreland won the Panama Championship.
Next week: Visa Argentina Open on Feb. 27-March 2.
Points leader: Hank Lebioda.
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Other tours
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