From the final threesome, World No. 104 Cameron Champ swallowed a first-half triple en route to a 1-under 35-35=70 in R4 of the Mexico Open at Vidanta, slipping four places to a season-best T6 on 14-under 270, three shy of champion Jon Rahm (69).
After opening with 67-66-67, the 26-year-old began T2, two back of overnight leader and playing competitor Rahm, and outpaced one, 3-putt bogey at 15 (from 50'5") with five birdies, but unfortunately, took seven swings at the par-4 eighth to derail his title bid. On nine (of 13) fairways and 15 greens in regulation, he gained 0.969 strokes off-the-tee but lost ground in all other SG metrics, including a -0.341 on approach and -0.950 around-the-green. For the festivities, the California native totaled 23 birdies versus six bogeys and the aforementioned triple, and ranked No. 1 SG: OTT (5.864) and 4th SG: Putting (6.754), despite a -0.137 SGP in R4, but 45th ARG (-0.319) and a lowly 63rd APP (-1.525). Nonetheless, this is his second top 10 of the season in 10 events, second consecutive after a tied-major-best T10 at the 86th Masters three weeks ago. The Texas A&M product is not in the published field at this coming week’s Wells Fargo in Maryland.