VALLARTA, Mexico (AP) — Erik van Rooyen made two eagles Thursday on his way to an 8-under 63 for a one-shot lead in the Mexico Open at Vidanta, a strong start in his bid to win a second PGA Tour title in Mexico in the last four months.
Van Rooyen hit 3-iron to 6 feet for eagle on the par-5 sixth hole at Vidanta Vallarta, and then pitched in on the par-5 12th for a second eagle. His lone mistake was a soft bogey when a straightforward chip ran 7 feet by the hole at the 15th and he missed the par putt.
Sami Valimaki of Finland, one of the 10 players from the European tour who earned PGA Tour cards this year, shot 64. He salvaged par when he hit a fairway metal into the hazard on the par-5 sixth, followed by a drive to 12 feet for eagle on the reachable par-4 seventh.
Cristobal del Solar of Chile, who set the Korn Ferry Tour record two weeks ago with a 57 in the Bogota Championship, was among those at 65.
Van Rooyen was raised in South Africa, played college golf at Minnesota and can’t explain why he has such a good feel for golf in Mexico.