Vallarta, Mexico – Aldrich Potgieter shows his ability to shoot at the Mexican Open on Friday, powering and putting in 10 shots under 61 , which gave the big hit South African a four-shot lead on Vidanta Vallarta’s weekend.
After a tee shot into the water on the 10th hole, Potgieter bumped out. He failed to make two of the birds in the back nine 5 shots. He still has external opportunities in another game below 60. He shot 59 times a year ago on the Korn Ferry Tour.
These hopes ended with a T-shirt from a three-shot par 18-hole bunker shot, and this approach fell into the bunker. The ball stayed near the lips and it was hard to get a 20-yard bunker shot. He eliminated twice from a 25-foot par.
“But that’s OK,” he said of par. “I know I’ve made a lot of extra birds all day and that won’t hurt me.”
Potgieter listed course records and led four shots with less than 126 shots, with Stephan Jaeger (64) and Brian Campbell, The latter put the last hole in a row with 65 birds.
It was an excellent show for Potgieter, who won the 2022 British Amateur at the age of 17 and became the youngest player last year (19), winning the Korn Ferry Tour.
“I love golf courses. In many ways, I think it’s definitely a good fit for my game,” Potgieter said. “If I can stay in good shape, I think it should be good.”
His strength and strike are prominent. His putts are the cause of 61, with Potgieter heling seven putts for 10 feet or more. This does not include the tenth, where the water was found on his tee, he had just lowered from the green and drove into par from 20 feet.
He reached the 12th hole of 661 yards by slamming the player from the fairway into the driver who was over 20 feet away.
“I’ve been practicing, doing a training session in the driving range, cutting it low and dealing with the driver that way,” Potgieter said. “I told my caddie, ‘Let’s do the same Things. ‘It’s a perfect number, yes, hit the perfect shot.”
His seven drives went into 325 yards or more.
Jaeger had another bogey in 5 shots, this time hitting the green on the 12th-place green, but still had 64 to keep it mixed. There are 6 birdies in his last 10 holes.
“It’s something I think if you play well and give yourself a lot of opportunities, the green is so nice and it’s nice to do some putting.”
England’s Aaron Rai is the highest-ranked player in the field, ranking 29th, 5 strokes behind.
Antoine Rozner entered his last hole and needed Birdie to move the tangent and eliminate 12 players. Rozner had to do a 10-foot par to avoid losing the cut.
The two Masters amateurs were 77 advanced with 138. Latin America’s amateur champion Justin Hastings of Cayman Islands Birds took 136 with 67 in his last four holes. Ballester opened another 69 people, at the time of 138.
The layoffs are also Blades Brown, the 17-year-old who became a professional player this year. He shot 69 and led 11 goals.
