the poblano Isidro Benítez received an exemption to compete in the tournament Mexico Open at Vidantaofficial event of PGA TOURwhich will be held from April 28 to May 1, in Vallarta.
“We are proud to announce the tenth Mexican to participate in the Mexico Open at Vidanta,” said Rodrigo Suárez Gilly, Executive Director of the Mexico Open. “Firm with our commitment to promoting young talent, Isidro Benítez will be the last Mexican to make up the field. An excellent example of dedication and success,” he added.
“I am very excited and happy about this great opportunity to be able to play a second PGA TOUR event in my country”, he declared – for his part – Isidro Benitez. “It is an immense opportunity that I am going to take advantage of; I’m going to give it my all”, added the player from Puebla.
Benitez represented Mexico as a junior at the 2016 World Amateur Championships, and that same year, he competed in the Eisenhower Trophy, along with Alvaro Ortiz and Luis Gerardo Garza. At the age of 16, still as an amateur player, Isidro won a tournament on the Professional Golf Tour of our country. Three years later, he became the youngest winner of the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, after winning the VISA Open tournament in Argentina, his first victory as a professional, and which allowed him to obtain a place in the field of the 2019 Open Championship.
The other seven exemptions that the tournament has already granted to Mexicans were for Roberto Diazfor being the best ranked Mexican in the Official World Golf Ranking –after Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz– those who already have a PGA TOUR card and are confirmed to participate in the Mexico Open at Vidanta; for Alvaro Ortiz for being the champion of the 61st edition of the Mexican Golf Open; Armando Favela, who took the Latin American qualifier to the Mexico Open at Vidanta; for Aaron Jarvis dand the Cayman Islands for winning the 2022 Latin America Amateur Championship (LAAC). Due to scheduling issues, Jarvis will not be able to attend the event, therefore, this exemption has been granted to the Mexican Santiago de la Fuente, who finished as runner-up in said tournament; Jose Antonio Safa, for winning the TaylorMade Golf Mexico Open at Vidanta Amateur Latin American Qualifier; for the amateur José Cristóbal Islas, who was chosen by the Selection Committee of the Mexico Open at Vidanta tournament, and finally, Manuel Iman, who won the Qualifier for Mexican Professionals, which was held at Los Encinos Golf Club, in Lerma, State of Mexico.
THE STARS CONFIRMED
Today the organizing committee of the Mexico Open at Vidanta announced the participation of three Americans:
Tony Finau, winner of two titles on the PGA TOUR, during the Puerto Rico Open at Coco Beach, in 2016, and The Northern Trust, last year; In addition to being a member of the US team twice, in the Ryder Cup, in 2018 and 2020. The second element is Kevin Na, champion of five tournaments on the circuit, the last one during the Sony Open in Hawaii, which was played last year. And finally, Gary Woodland, who has four wins on the PGA TOUR, with the 2021 US Open being the most important of his career.
They have also joined the field, three latin players, the Colombians Sebastian Munoz and Camilo Villegasas well as the Chilean Myth Pereira.
Muñoz already knows what it means to win on the PGA TOUR, when he won the Sanderson Farms Championship trophy in 2020. While Villegas has four titles, the last of which was during the Wyndham Championship in 2014. Meanwhile, Mito Pereira plays his first full season on the PGA TOURin pursuit of his first win after three championships on the Korn Ferry Tour, in 2020, which they allowed him to get his card with full status to the PGA TOUR.
The final field of the tournament will be announced this Friday, April 22, at 5:00 p.m. Central Mexico time.
