Dark horse McLeod in with who’s who

JAKE McLeod has literally landed in Mexico as a grey, shadowy unknown for his biggest golf thrill playing in the same field as Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

The breakout Queensland star is guaranteed a cool $70,000-plus even if he finishes at the tail of the elite 64-man field, which he has no intention of doing.

The Mexico Championship is a $14 million shootout for the sport’s finest, yet organisers could not arrange a photo of McLeod for the tournament website.

McLeod only appears as an anonymous grey cutout between headliners McIlroy and Phil Mickelson.

“I’ll have to get that updated with a new head and shorter hair,” McLeod said with a laugh because his trademark man-bun has been to the barber shop.

The Order of Merit winner from the PGA Tour of Australasia admits there will be nerves when he tees up tonight among the who’s who of golf.

“I get nerves most weeks and there’ll be a few more this time but in a good way,” McLeod, 24, said.

Shooting a superb 65 in the Saudi International earlier this month and finishing the event ahead of former world No.1 Brooks Koepka was a confidencebooster. “There were some legends in that field and it was really good to see I could compete even when I was still to find my best ball-striking,” McLeod said.

It is not Woods who McLeod finds the coolest figure in golf but Swede Henrik Stenson.

“Henrik was walking into the locker room as I was walking out in Saudi and I just had to get a selfie,” McLeod said a little sheepishly.

“He kinda looked at me, ‘but you’re playing’. He was happy to do it. I just think he’s the best ball striker, a cool guy.”