PGA Tour : Mexico Open at VidantaWorld.. Past Results
After 71 holes it came down to the 72nd between 20 year old rookie Aldrich Potgieter and the 31 year old journeyman Brian Campbell. Both made birdie on the par 5 18th, both shot 71, both got in at -20.
In the playoff, both players then made par before returning to the 18th tee for the 3rd time when Lady Luck decided to take her hand in the decision.
Aldrich Potgieter plays his shot from the eighth tee during the second round of the Mexico Open.
Potgieter was outdriving Campbell by as much as 70 yards all week. He crashed another huge drive and was sitting in the fairway with 6 iron in.
Campbell hit a bad drive, a low fade heading straight into the trees, well out of bounds, a provisional the next sure thing, until he heard that sound we hackers all know so well, the loud thwack as golf ball meets tree. and the beautiful result when it ricochets back into the fairway.
He showed promise as the low amateur at the 2015 US Open during his college career at Illinois, and won his Tour card in 2017 where he promptly MC in 13 of 20 starts before returning to the feeder tours for 7 years, He had endured failure over and over, that is a side of pro golf that does not make headlines. A side that takes belief and support from family like girlfriend Kelsi McKee, coaches and sponsors. Monday qualifiers, nagging injuries, missed cuts, at one point when he barely kept his Korn Ferry status in 2023 he told us "Maybe I'm not playing golf next year, then what am I going to do ?!
Thoughts of yet another runner up, he had 3 of those on the Korn Ferry tour in 2024 where he finished 8th to get back here again may have flashed through his mind, until that thwack, and the result from Lady Luck, a lovely lie out in the open !
He smacked a three wood, out along the fairway 100 yards short. Potgieter had been waiting, nailed his 6 iron right on line, but it caught the front bunker.
Campbell hit a beauty wedge to 4 feet, Potgieter splashed out to 12 feet and missed the putt for birdie, while Campbell, managing to hold his emotion trusted the putter that had saved him all week and rolled in the life changing birdie.
He was winless in 186 starts, mostly on the Korn Ferry Tour, not only did he win as much money on Sunday $1,260,000 as he did in all 7 years in the minors, but he will play at Augusta, the Players, the PGA Championship, all 5 remaining signature events, fully exempt until 2028
Most importantly, he is forever a winner on the PGA Tour, and young Potgieter will surely have his day.
Bryan Angus
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