Racing Post's Mexico Open first-round preview and free golf betting tips

Where to watch the Mexico Open

Live on Sky Sports Golf, from 1.45pm Thursday

Best bets

Byeong Hun An to beat Maverick McNealy 
2pts 10-11 BoyleSports

Chez Reavie to win 7.45pm threeball
2pts 7-4 Coral, Ladbrokes

Vincent Norrman top-20 finish
1pt 16-5 Coral, Ladbrokes

Mexico Open first-round preview

Maverick McNealy's season has been disrupted by a shoulder injury and he may not be able to get back on track at the Mexico Open, which makes him vulnerable in a match bet with South Korea's Byeong-Hun An.

The problem surfaced at Pebble Beach in February and returning too early caused another withdrawal at Phoenix and he has been chasing good form since without much success.

His last three strokeplay tournament form figures are 60-36-MC and he also failed to win any of his three group matches at the World Match Play, so his game is not in a good place.

An, meanwhile, has the ball-striking skills to do well at Vidanta and he should be confident he can build on his sixth at the Texas Open last time out.

The best first-round threeball bet looks to be at 7.45pm when Chez Reavie can get the better of Francesco Molinari and South African Erik van Rooyen.

Reavie had a slump in the early months of 2023 but has got his act together with sixth at the Texas Open and 13th at the star-studded RBC Heritage.

HIs 13th in last year's stands him in good stead for a decent challenge this week, while his playing partners are struggling.

Former Open champion Molinari was 14th at the Arnold Palmer but has missed five of his last seven cuts, while Van Rooyen has not made the weekend in his last two efforts.

It is also worth chancing that Sweden's Vincent Normann can make the top 20 after performing well in recent low key events. He was 21st in Puerto Rico, 16th at the Corales Puntacana and ninth in last week's Zurich Classic of New Orleans with team-mate Matthias Schwab.

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