The Mexico Open may not be a PGA Tour Signature Event, but that doesn’t mean it was short on entertainment value. And by late in the afternoon on Sunday, fans tuning into the action at VidantaWorld were on the edge of their seats as the action headed for extra holes between two contrasting talents.
In one corner was the long-hitting 20-year-old Aldrich Potgieter. The former British Amateur champ is the youngest player on Tour and is widely considered a can’t-miss prospect because of his prodigious length off. the tee. Opposite Potgieter was the journeyman Brian Campbell, a 31-year-old former standout at the University of Illinois who’s toiled away on development tours for much of his career.
Each of the two was searching for his first Tour victory on Sunday and each posted 20-under through 72 holes. But watching them side-by-side, they oftentimes looked like they were playing different sports.
You see, Potgieter, the burly South African, is the longest hitter on Tour, averaging 326.9 yards per poke. In an age dominated by distance, he has the prototypical skillset needed for domination. Campbell, on the other hand, is not a bomber. In fact, he’s the shortest hitter on Tour, averaging 277.8 yards per drive. There may be no two different playing styles than Campbell and Potgieter.
The playoff at VidantaWorld was a study in contrast — and it wasn’t just apparent to those watching from home.
“It’s hard to look at a guy next to you hitting it 60 to 80 yards past you,” Campbell said. “But you’ve really just got to stay focused on what you’re there to do and do the best you can.”
Campbell stayed true to his word as he outlasted Potgieter and won the tournament with a birdie on the second playoff hole. But he needed a little luck to get there.
On the second extra hole, Campbell flared his drive (at just 163 mph of ball speed) well right off the fairway. The shot appeared to be heading directly out of bounds, but thanks to an excellent bounce off a tree branch, it caromed back toward the fairway.
“Yeah, that was not by design,” Campbell said. “I don’t recommend going right on that tee shot. I was very fortunate to get the bounce, still in play and then got myself back in position.”
He didn’t let the fortunate break go to waste. After pushing his next shot up into the fairway in wedge distance, he stuffed his final approach to within three feet to set up his winning birdie. After Potgieter missed a short try of his own, the journeyman Campbell at last had a putt to finally break through.
“It’s really hard to put it into words,” Campbell said. “You play so hard, you put your heart out there, you grind not just four days but really all week long we’re out here. So to have it culminate like this has just been really special.”
