Tag: cabo san lucas

No one will be surprised if Ludvig Aberg earns first PGA Tour win this week on Tiger Woods’ first course

Is it any wonder that Aberg is considered the favorite in Los Cabos, Mexico?

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico — If Swedish golfer Ludvig Aberg were a stock, longtime NBC Sports golf commentator Roger Maltbie said he’d be buying as many shares as he could get his hands on.

“The power he’s got, seems like he’s got a lot of wedge game, too, and putting, he seems to have pretty much all the pieces,” Maltbie said. “So right now, I’d say he’s got the biggest upside.”

A little more than four months ago, Aberg, who celebrated his 24th birthday on Halloween, completed a decorated amateur career at Texas Tech. The top-ranked amateur in the world swept college golf’s three player-of-the-year awards and became the first player to earn Tour membership through PGA Tour University, which will carry through the 2024 season.

In just his fourth start as a PGA Tour pro, Aberg earned a top-10 finish. Two months later, he notched his first pro win, making four birdies in his final five holes to shoot 64 and claim the Omega European Masters in Switzerland.

“Playing well over the back nine gave me a belief that I can do it and I can do it on this stage,” he said after his victory.

Indeed, he can. European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald named him one of his wild card picks for Rome, becoming the first player ever to play in a Ryder Cup before ever teeing it up in a major championship. Aberg played ably, including teaming with FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland to trounce world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and reigning PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka, 9 and 7 in a foursomes (alternate-shot) match.

“I just tried to put the ball on the green and my work was done,” said Hovland of his foursomes partner’s prowess with the short stick that day.

In his next start, Aberg rallied on Sunday to force a playoff at the Sanderson Farms Championship and went low again in Las Vegas, closing with 62 to finish T-13. Is it any wonder that he’s considered the favorite this week at the World Wide Technology Championship in Los Cabos, Mexico?

“He’s just getting on his road. He’s just starting to write his history,” Donald said. “I think he’s a generational talent.”

Count four-time major winner Rory McIlroy as another admirer.

“Everyone talks about what a great driver of the golf ball he is,” McIlroy said of Aberg during the Ryder Cup. “But I was really impressed with his wedge play and how he can sort of control his trajectory with shorter clubs. I was on the bandwagon before. Certainly at the front of it now.”

While much of the field is trying to lock up playing privileges for the 2024 season, Aberg is joined in the field by world No. 17 Cameron Young, who is making his first start of the FedEx Cup Fall, as well as Sahith Theegala, who won for the first time at the Fortinet Championship in September, and Lucas Glover, who won twice in August.

The tournament has shifted from one sun-drenched resort destination – it previously was held near Cancun at Mayakoba Resort – to another and will be contested at El Cardonal at Diamante, the first time a golf course designed by Tiger Woods is hosting a PGA Tour event. On Tuesday, Woods paid a visit to the first course he designed, which opened in 2014.

He might want to check out the uber-talented Aberg, who has rocketed to No. 58 in the world and with another good result this week he could surge into the top 50 and potentially earn a berth in the Masters. The quickest path to a trip down Magnolia Lane in April? A win this week south of the border.

Given his meteoric rise since turning pro, no one would be surprised if he made his maiden victory on the Tour his latest conquest.

Stat

60. That’s how many PGA Tour winners are in the field. Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker lead the way with nine victories to their credit, while Sahith Theegala is the last player in the field to notch his first win at the Fortinet Championship.

Keep an eye on…

Maverick McNealy. He is making his first start since the RBC Canadian Open in June. He missed nearly five months while dealing with a left shoulder injury.

Cameron Young. He is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 17 in the world and is making his first start on the PGA Tour since the BMW Championship in August. Young is seeking his first Tour title.

(Editor’s note: The story was corrected to show that Aberg attended Texas Tech University.)

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Watch: Crafty sea lion swipes Cabo angler’s prized catch

Footage has surfaced showing a notorious sea lion named Pancho stealing a dorado from a fisherman who had been holding his catch.

Frequent visitors to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, know of and have probably encountered Pancho the sea lion.

The crafty pinniped is notorious for stealing fish from unsuspecting anglers after they return from a productive day at sea.

The accompanying video shows Pancho stealing a dorado, or mahi-mahi, from a Pisces Sportfishing Fleet angler who had collected his catch from a crewman.

Pisces described the incident Tuesday via Instagram:

“You always gotta watch your back when Pancho is around! Today our anglers aboard Pisces 30’ Karina learned the hard way and lost one of their Dorado to our famous & sneaky Cabo sea lion, but lucky for them they caught another 16 Dorado today too (10 released).”

Pancho has been around for years and crews sometimes toss him bait fish while returning to the docks. But as far as Pancho is concerned, all fish belong to him if he can access them.

Tiger Woods arrives in Cabo where PGA Tour will play on the first golf course he designed

On Tuesday, Woods was seen cruising around the venue in a golf cart.

Nearly nine years ago, Tiger Woods hit a ceremonial first tee shot to officially open El Cardonal at Diamante in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It was the first golf course he designed and now, it’s hosting the PGA Tour for the firs ttime.

The World Wide Technology is this week, the first in a five-deal deal to be played at Diamante. The WWT was previously staged at El Camaleon Golf Club near Cancun, Mexico but after 16 years with the PGA Tour, the course jumped ship for LIV Golf.

Woods and El Cardonal stepped in to take over and on Thursday, a field of 132 golfers will tackle the 7,452-yard, par-72 layout for the first time.

On Tuesday, Woods was seen cruising around the venue in a golf cart.

Woods built a fun short course at Diamante called The Oasis. He’s currently building a third layout there called The Legacy, and the expectation is that the Tour stop will shift to that course which is set to rival Shadow Creek in Las Vegas.

El Cardonal is named after the large desert tree, the cardon, that dots the landscape on the Baja California peninsula.

WWT Championship: Tiger Woods merch photos | Odds, picks to win

Justin Lower was among the Tour pros trying to work their way through a practice round at El Cardonal on Tuesday and apparently the Big Cat made him nervous.

The WWT starts Thursday. It’s the third-to-last event on the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Fall series.

Woods post a message on X on Wednesday, wishing all the players good luck on his course.

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Photos: Tiger Woods merch galore at El Cardonal at Diamante, host of 2023 World Wide Technology Championship

Check out the pro shop full of Tiger Woods merch in Cabo.

CABO SAN LUCAS — “We’re in the Tiger business,” they like to say at Diamante Cabo San Lucas. And it make sense.

Diamante, the luxury golf destination on the southern tip of Baja California Sur in Mexico, has three courses with a fourth under construction. El Cardonal is one of them, and it was the first course designed by Tiger Woods. It opened in 2014, with Tiger hitting the ceremonial first tee shot. He also did the 9-hole short course called the Oasis. Coming soon: the Legacy, a high-end luxury private course that’ll rival Shadow Creek in Las Vegas.

But that’s not all. Tiger is also opening a second restaurant at Diamante, dubbed The Woods Cabo. Just off the 18th green of El Cardonal, The Woods Cabo has fantastic views of the course with blue hue of the Pacific Ocean off in the distance.

El Cardonal is the new host venue for the PGA Tour’s World Wide Technology Championship which moved over to Cabo from Mayakoba. Diamante has a five-year deal to host the tournament. This year’s event is Nov. 2-5.

The clubhouse at El Cardonal is dominated by Tiger’s signature red and black colors. Check out some photos here:

Rare sighting: World’s fastest fish sails into Cabo San Lucas marina

Sailfish, typically encountered far from shore, were documented swimming inside the Cabo San Lucas marina on Wednesday.

The marina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, is where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez, and game fish abound in offshore waters.

But on Wednesday, folks did not even have to board a boat to encounter a type of billfish described by National Geographic as “the fastest fish in the ocean.”

The accompanying footage, shared Wednesday by the Pisces Sportfishing Fleet, shows a large sailfish cruising inside the marina.

“Filmed by Javi Sanchez this AM in the marina in Cabo – apparently there were 3 or 4 Sails that came straight into the Marina and he caught this one on film,” Pisces wrote on Facebook. “After a few minutes the Sailfish made their way back out to the bay!”

Sailfish are typically encountered far from shore in tropical and subtropical waters. They are speedsters without peer, capable of swimming in bursts up to 68 mph.

Pisces Sportfishing crewman releases a sailfish caught offshore in 2021.

Sailfish are named, obviously, for their large dorsal fins, which resemble sails when the they’re exposed at the surface.

It’s not known why the sailfish entered the Cabo marina, but sailfish often use their dorsal fins to corral schooling baitfish.

As for other game fish, Cabo San Lucas anglers are currently enjoying the “hottest yellowfin tuna bite of the year,” according to Pisces Sportfishing.

Photos: Check out the 15-hole putting course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas

Friendly tip: this course is best enjoyed late in the day, with the sun setting out over the Pacific Ocean.

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico — Diamante Cabo San Lucas makes headlines for its two 18-hole championship courses, the Dunes by Davis Love III and El Cardonal by Tiger Woods, the first course he ever designed. Coming soon to Diamante: the Legacy, also a Tiger Woods design that promises to be elite.

But there’s more Diamante than that. The resort private community has a 12-hole short course called The Oasis. For some visitors, though, the most fun might be had at the 15-hole putting course.

Set just steps out the back of the Diamante clubhouse, this track is perfect for a day of fun in the sun with the family and friends, a cold drink in your hand and maybe nothing on your feet.

Be ready to read the lines though. This hilly expanse will get your attention. And if you come back the next day, you’ll get an entirely different experience as you’ll play the course in reverse from the day before.

Friendly tip: this course is best enjoyed late in the day, with the sun setting out over the Pacific Ocean. The “golden hour” will certainly set the stage for fun, relaxation and some amazing photos.

Divers encounter one of the ‘weirdest creatures in the ocean’

A dive company in Mexico on Tuesday shared footage showing clients swimming with a large sunfish that was alien-like in appearance.

A company that specializes in shark encounters off Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, shared footage Tuesday showing a large Mola mola swimming with divers.

“One of the weirdest creatures in the ocean, THE MOLA MOLA,” Cabo Shark Dive suggested via Instagram. “We often see Mola molas during our ocean safaris, and they are super COOL and friendly!”

Mola molas (ocean sunfish) are the largest bony fish on the planet and can weigh up to 5,000 pounds.

The docile creatures pose little threat to divers, however, as they roam pelagic currents slurping sea jellies, crustaceans, small fish and algae.

They’re most famous for their alien-like appearance, with truncated bodies that are smooth and flat on both sides, and large eyes.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium website describes the Mola mola as a fish that “looks like the invention of a mad scientist.”

–Footage courtesy of Jacob Brunetti/Cabo Shark Dive.

Photos: Check out the golf courses at Cabo Del Sol in Cabo San Lucas

Come for the golf, stay for the comfort stations in Mexico.

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico — Jack Nicklaus, designer and builder of golf courses around the world, once declared it “the best golf property I’ve seen.”

He was referring to his golf course, originally called the Ocean Course at Cabo Del Sol, now dubbed Cove Club – the centerpiece to this seaside community on the tip of the Baja California Peninsula.

Cove Club, now fully private, underwent a recent design change which rerouted a few holes and features a spectacular finish at edge of the Sea of Cortez. The club also opened some magnificent beachfront area for the entire membership to enjoy at the Cove Club.

A second 18-hole course, originally called the Desert Course and designed by Tom Weiskopf, runs higher up the hillside and offers views of the blue waters from just about every hole. That course is now called Cabo Del Sol Course and is undergoing a renovation by the team of Dana Fry and Jason Straka.

Check out some photos of the courses at Cabo Del Sol.

Cabo angler lands record-size Sierra – why it won’t be a record

An angler in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on Wednesday enjoyed a fish dinner prepared with a sierra mackerel catch that had a solid chance of breaking a 33-year-old world record.

An angler in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on Wednesday enjoyed a fish dinner prepared with a Sierra mackerel catch that had a solid chance of breaking a 33-year-old world record.

The 18.7-pound Sierra, caught by Sean Green in the Sea of Cortez, was weighed on a hand-held scale before it was filleted.

According to Pisces Sportfishing, “If they would have weighed it on a certified scale and this weight held this would have certainly been the NEW All Tackle World Record! Meaning, the LARGEST FISH of this SPECIES EVER CAUGHT on rod and reel & breaking the record held for over thirty years.”

The world record for Sierra stands at 18 pounds. It was established in March 1990 in Ecuador and matched in September 1990, also in Ecuador.

Sierra fillets from what might have been a world-record Sierra. Photos courtesy of Pisces Sportfishing

Pisces Sportfishing explained that Green and his buddies were fishing aboard the vessel Crudo and trolling live mullet for roosterfish when the massive Sierra struck.

It remains unclear if they knew they had landed a potential record-setting fish.
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Pisces stated late Wednesday: “In this case we will never know, Team Crudo preferred to enjoy their catch and not worry about the potential of a record. The Sierra is being enjoyed as ceviche with a few cold beers as we speak…. What would you have done?”

Sierra mackerel, commonly referred to as Sierra, are prized for their fighting ability as table fare. Many regard them as the perfect fish for the citrus-marinated delicacy known as ceviche.

Photos: Ernie Els to design new course, Oleada, at Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

“Because the native contours and dune formations are so good, very little earthmoving will be required.”

Ernie Els has signed on as signature designer for a new course in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico: Oleada Golf Links Los Cabos. The course will anchor the new Oleada Pacific Living and Golf, an 860-acre oceanfront resort community 15 minutes from downtown Cabo San Lucas.

The Pacific Ocean will be the backdrop for the course built into a desert landscape. A media release announcing the news said the site features dunes and sandy ridges, ideal for golf. Also slated to work on the project is Greg Letsche, senior design associate of Ernie Els Design.

“Because the native contours and dune formations are so good, very little earthmoving will be required to build the course,” Els, a South African who has won four major championships among his 19 PGA Tour and three PGA Tour Champions titles, said in the media release. “Shaping will be very minimalistic. Man cannot improve on what Mother Nature has created over the eons. The golf course that we create at Oleada will be here long after I’m gone. That means something and it makes me feel very proud.”

Plans for Oleada also include oceanfront residences, and the first phase of development includes three resorts as well as the golf course. Work on the project began in January, and the development is slated to open in 2026. The course will allow non-resort public-access play for its first season.

Els Design has built more than a dozen courses around the world in locations such as the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, South Africa, the Bahamas and the U.S. The company’s website lists six other courses in development in Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Egypt, the Dominican Republic and Croatia, as well as this project in Mexico.

“With its rolling dunes, elevation changes and majestic desert-meets-ocean setting, I believe we can produce a versatile test that will rank among the best and most beautiful courses we’ve ever built,” Els said of Oleada in the media release.