Aldrich Potgieter Dominates Round Two at Mexico Open with Record-Setting 61

VALLARTA, Mexico — Aldrich Potgieter showcased his remarkable golf skills on Friday, delivering a stellar 10-under 61 in the second round of the Mexico Open at Vidanta Vallarta. This performance secured him a significant four-shot lead as he heads into the weekend.

Despite facing challenges, such as a tee shot into the water on the 10th hole, Potgieter managed to recover with a chip-in par. He narrowly missed birdies on two shorter par 5s on the back nine but remained optimistic. His hopes for a sub-60 round were dashed after a difficult approach shot on the 18th hole, resulting in a two-putt par from 25 feet.

“But it was OK,” Potgieter reflected. “I knew I made a lot of extra birdies throughout the day where that wasn’t going to hurt me.” His round tied the course record, bringing his total score to 16-under 126.

Potgieter’s performance stood out not only for its scoring but also for his consistency. He is building on a solid career trajectory after winning the 2022 British Amateur at age 17 and becoming the youngest player to win on the Korn Ferry Tour at age 19.

“I love the golf course. It definitely suits my game, I think, in a lot of aspects,” he said. “If I can keep putting well, I think it should be pretty good.” Potgieter’s driving power and proficiency with the putter were key factors in his success; he made seven putts from 10 feet or longer during the round.

One of the highlights included reaching the challenging 661-yard 12th hole in two shots after using a driver off the fairway. “I’ve been practicing, doing a drill on the driving range with teeing it really low and hitting it really good with the driver that way,” he explained, indicating that a well-executed strategy contributed to his performance.

Stephan Jaeger stayed competitive with a score of 64 but faced his own setbacks, including a last-minute bogey on the 12th hole. Despite this, he managed six birdies within his last 10 holes, indicating the course’s potential for scoring.

“It’s one of those golf courses I feel like if you hit it nicely and you give yourself a lot of chances, the greens are so good it’s nice to make some putts,” Jaeger said.

In addition, Aaron Rai of England, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 29, also shot 64, putting him five shots behind Potgieter. Meanwhile, Antoine Rozner faced pressure on the final hole, needing a birdie to improve his standing but ended up making a par that left him worried about the cut.

Among the 77 players who made the cut at 3-under 138 were two Masters-bound amateurs: Latin America Amateur champion Justin Hastings from the Cayman Islands, who shot a 67, and U.S. Amateur champion Jose Luis Ballester with a 69. Additionally, 17-year-old Blades Brown, who turned pro this year, shot 69, positioning him 11 shots off the lead.