For those of us who are geographically challenged, El Camaleon sits about 50 miles south of Cancun near the northeastern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Scottie Scheffler, ranked No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking, is the highest-ranked golfer in the field. Rory McIlroy recently overtook him for the top spot, but there’s a chance Scheffler could return to No. 1 with a win.
It’s been 11 years since a golfer won the same event three years in a row, something Steve Stricker did from 2009 to 2011 at the John Deere Classic.
Tony Finau is making his season debut. Billy Horschel and Justin Rose are also in the field.
The fall portion of the 2022-23 PGA Tour schedule has already visited the U.S., Japan and Bermuda. This is the first of two visits to Mexico for the Tour this season, as the Mexico Open at Vidanta is set for late April.
Carlos Ortiz, who has defected to LIV Golf, finished solo second a year ago, but he will not return. Nor, for the same reason, will Matthew Wolff and Joaquinn Niemann, who tied for fifth, or Abraham Ancer and Sergio Garcia, who tied for seventh.
El Camaleon was designed by Greg Norman and opened in 2004. Three years later, it became the first course in Mexico to host a PGA Tour event.
Breathtaking views, beachfront holes, caves and vibrant fairways make this a place even the pros are eager to see.
The World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba is one of the most desirable tournaments on the PGA Tour schedule. From the breathtaking views, beachfront holes, caves and vibrant fairways, even the professionals have something to brag about when they come.
This course includes many features and facilities including one of the eight Jim McLean golf schools. Visitors can practice on the range, work on their short game or take advantage of TrackMan technology with the help of a certified instructor.
Jim McLean Academy. (Mayakoba)
The course is an overwhelming beauty amidst the Mayan tropical jungle, and the flora and fauna are something to appreciate. The mangroves and canals are eye-catching and your eye might even stumble upon some live monkeys and iguanas throughout your round.
After your round, the cart barn has fresh fruit popsicles waiting for you and you can grab a bite to eat at the Koba restaurant, located within the club.
There are four award-winning resorts located on the property of Mayakoba that all offer a unique feel based on your tastes and preferences.
King Size bed at Beachfront Pool Suite 2nd floor. (Mayakoba)
Fairmont is more of a family-friendly stay with a variety of water activities, a discovery club and an adventure camp for kids. There is also an adult-only pool, Willow Stream Spa and eco-boat tour for the more mature guests.
Rosewood is an upscale resort with trendy cocktail bars and a sophisticated atmosphere. The 129 private suites feature private plunge pools and terraces.
Banyan Tree gives off a more romantic and intimate feel. With stunning restaurants on the water and candlelit pathways, you and your loved one will feel the spark ignited.
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Andaz features modern artwork and intertwines Mayan culture from the rooms to the restaurants. Immerse yourself in Mayan culture with tastings, classes and unique cultural experiences.
The fine dining offerings at each resort are a melting pot of different flavors and cultures. The beach clubs are a great way to relax or enjoy some drinks and bites.
There is plenty to do at Mayakoba whether you are a golf fanatic or want to bring the whole family.
Visit Mayakoba.com for more information on golf and the different hotels.
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Here’s a look at the property and some highlights from recent tournaments.
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The 24-year-old from Norway successfully defended his title at the 2021 World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba, the first player to do so on the PGA Tour since Brooks Koepka in 2019 at the PGA Championship. For his efforts, Hovland will take home the top prize of $1,296,000. Carlos Ortiz, who birdied five of his last seven holes to finish solo-second and four shots back, earned $784,800.
Check out how much money each PGA Tour player earned this week at the 2021 World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba.
Hovland is the first player to go back-to-back at Mayakoba.
Twice is nice for Viktor Hovland at the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba.
The 24-year-old Norwegian native became the first player to defend his title in the tournament’s 15-year history and the first to defend any title on the PGA Tour since Brooks Koepka in 2019 at the PGA Championship.
Hovland signed for a 4-under 67 on Sunday at El Camaleon Golf Club in Riviera Maya, south of Cancun, and coasted to a 4-stroke victory over Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz.
“Whenever I get into a flow where I’ve got my numbers dialed in and I’m swinging it good, it’s just kind of point and shoot,” Hovland said.
The winner of the 2019 Puerto Rico Open, Hovland did the majority of his damage on the par 5’s, making birdies on his first 11 par-5s in the tournament. He took control of the tournament on Saturday when he birdied half the holes en route to shooting a career-best 62 and grabbed a two-stroke lead.
Hovland, who represented Team Europe at the Ryder Cup in September, sucked any of the drama out of the final round with birdies at the two par 5s on the front side and drained a 35-foot birdie putt at the ninth, celebrating with a fist pump as he stretched his lead to four strokes. He also got up and down three times when he missed the green. Hovland added a 20-foot birdie at the 11th hole and two more at the 14th and 17th to counter a couple of miscues on the back nine – bogeys at Nos. 12 and 15. But none of his closest competitors mounted a charge until it was too late. Ortiz, a native of Guadalajara, closed with five birdies on the back nine to shoot 66 and recorded his third consecutive top-10 finish in the event. Justin Thomas was in last place after a 3-over par start through nine holes, but played the remaining 63 holes in 21 under to finish alone in third at 18-under 266.
Hovland finished with a 72-hole tournament record of 23-under 261 and notched his third career PGA Tour title and fourth overall, including a win in June at the European Tour’s BMW International Open.
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Hovland’s most pressure-packed moment happened before the tournament even began when he loaned his Ping G425 driver to Danny Lee on the practice range. Lee took a mighty swing and shattered the shaft.
“I don’t know where it snapped or how he snapped it, but I just look up after he hit the shot and it was in pieces,” said Hovland, who had a backup driver head, but didn’t have a backup shaft.
Hovland ended up borrowing the same model driver with a slightly different shaft, half an inch shorter, from competitor James Hahn.
“That thing’s been amazing,” Hovland said. “As soon as I just hit a few shots with it, and I actually went to a course not too far away from here and tested it on the golf course, as soon as I saw it just go pretty straight, it wasn’t much of an issue.”
In the second round, Hovland also overcame a bad break when he pushed his approach at the first hole, his 10th of the day, and it hit a sprinkler head and bounded out of bounds for his only double bogey of the tournament.
“What I’m most happy with,” Hovland said, “is just the fact that all those things happened and I didn’t freak out or anything.”
Everything you need to know for the final round in Mexico.
After a blustery trip to paradise in Bermuda last week, the PGA Tour continues its excursion outside the United States this week in Mexico.
Mayakoba Resort’s El Camaleon Golf Club in Playa del Carmen plays host this week to the 2021 World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba.
Matthew Wolff was the 18- and 36-hole leader, but stumbled on Saturday and will tee it up in the final round nine shots back of the leader.
The man leading happens to be the same man who won this tournament last season, Viktor Hovland. His Saturday bogey-free 62 propelled him to the top of the leaderboard as he leads Talor Gooch by two shots. Justin Thomas sits just three shots back.
Check out the final-round tee times and groupings below, as well as this week’s TV schedule. All times listed are Eastern.
1st tee
8:15 a.m.
Greyson Sigg, Adam Svensson
8:25 a.m.
Brandt Snedeker, Russell Henley
8:35 a.m.
Vincent Whaley, Andrew Novak
8:45 a.m.
Patrick Reed, Chez Reavie
8:55 a.m.
Doc Redman, Kevin Tway
9:05 a.m.
Rickie Fowler, Andrew Putnam
9:15 a.m.
Charl Schwartzel, Tom Hoge
9:25 a.m
Scott Piercy, Chris Kirk
9:35 a.m.
Hudson Swafford, Patton Kizzire
9:50 a.m.
Keegan Bradley, Bill Haas
10:00 a.m.
Thomas Detry, Maverick McNealy
10:10 a.m.
Keith Mitchell, Adam Hadwin
10:20 a.m.
Tony Finau, Sepp Straka
10:30 a.m.
Justin Rose, Ryan Palmer
10:40 a.m.
Danny Lee, Martin Laird
10:50 a.m.
Brendan Steele, Matt Fitzpatrick
11:00 a.m.
Joel Dahmen, Henrik Norlander
11:10 a.m.
Aaron Rai, Troy Merritt
11:25 a.m.
Tyler Duncan, Brian Stuard
11:35 a.m.
Charles Howell III, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
11:45 a.m.
Alex Noren, C.T. Pan
11:55 a.m.
Abraham Ancer, Roberto Diaz
12:05 p.m.
Danny Willett, Adam Long
12:15 p.m.
Anirban Lahiri, Matthew Wolff
12:25 p.m.
Doug Ghim, Billy Horschel
12:35 p.m.
Matt Kuchar, Garrick Higgo
12:45 p.m.
Tyrrell Hatton, Nick Taylor
1:00 p.m.
James Hahn, Michael Thompson
1:10 p.m.
Denny McCarthy, John Huh
1:20 p.m.
Joaquin Niemann, Seamus Power
1:30 p.m.
Scottie Scheffler, Brendon Todd
1:40 p.m.
Andrew Landry, Aaron Wise
1:50 p.m.
J.J. Spaun, Sergio Garcia
2:00 p.m.
Justin Thomas, Carlos Ortiz
2:10 p.m.
Viktor Hovland, Talor Gooch
TV, radio information
You can watch Golf Channel for free on fuboTV. All times ET.
Sunday, Nov. 7
TV
Golf Channel: 2-5 p.m.
Radio
SiriusXM: 12-5 p.m.
We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up for a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.
Can Viktor Hovland hold on for his second straight win at Mayakoba?
It was a wild day in Mexico during the third round of the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba. Matthew Wolff, for the first time in his career, entered moving day as the 18- and 36-hole leader. His two-stroke advantage didn’t stand for long as he bogeyed Nos. 2 and 3 and quickly found himself a few shots back. He never rebounded and sits at 11 under, eight shots back of the leader.
The man leading the pack just so happens to be the same gentleman that lifted the trophy at Mayakoba last season, one Viktor Hovland. The Norwegian fired a bogey-free 62 on Saturday. It was a round that saw Hovland hit over 85 percent of fairways (guess that new driver is paying dividends).
“I just think with it being a narrow course helps me because my bad shots tend to not go in the trees, so if I can always stay in between the tree lines, I can kind of hit a lot of approaches on the greens because they are soft, and if I hit good iron shots and they land on the pin, they’re going to stop on the pin,” Hovland said regarding the big stick.
“My kind of shot pattern with the driver, my misses tend to leak a little bit right, so with the wind being off the right, that kind of gave me a little bit of a cushion.”
If he’s able to hold on, Hovland would claim his third PGA Tour victory (and still none of them would have been won in the 50 states).
Talor Gooch outdid his Thursday 64 with a Saturday 63 thanks to six birdies and an eagle on the par-5 13th. Gooch has made just three bogeys all week, as he’s put little stress on his short game hitting nearly 80 percent of greens thus far.
“I’ve been in the final group a few times and it’s always — I mean, it’s what you play golf for,” Gooch said when asked about playing with Hovland and Justin Thomas in the final round. “This is at the highest level in the final group on Sunday and to do it with two of the best players in the world right now, two Ryder Cuppers, that’s what it’s about.”
He’ll tee off two shots back of Hovland on Sunday.
Justin Thomas did Justin Thomas things Saturday. He took care of the long holes on his front nine, birdieing both par 5s, then added two more circles to make the turn with a 4-under 32.
Justin Thomas of the United States and caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay line up a putt on the sixth green during the third round of the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba on El Camaleon golf course on November 06, 2021, in Playa del Carmen. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
He then played Nos. 11-14 in 3 under to get to 7 under on the day. Four straight pars coming in would solidify his bogey-free effort Saturday and he will enter the final round three shots back.
“I just did everything pretty well. I’m not doing anything great, I’m not doing anything bad, I’m cleaning up nicely on the greens,” Thomas said, as he continues to try and improve with the flat-stick. “I feel like my speed on my lag putting, it’s not very good this week. I’ve had a couple really sloppy three-putts and had a couple nice saves today to prevent that again.”
Joaquin Niemann got on an absolute heater Saturday, playing Nos. 4-11 in 7 under which included an eagle on the par-5 seventh. However, he cooled off quickly and played the remainder of his round 3 over, putting a damper on his chances.
His 4-under round on moving day has Niemann at 11 under total and eight shots back heading into Sunday.
Everything you need to know for the third round in Mexico.
After a blustery trip to paradise in Bermuda last week, the PGA Tour continues its excursion outside the United States this week in Mexico.
Mayakoba Resort’s El Camaleon Golf Club in Playa del Carmen plays host this week to the 2021 World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba.
Matthew Wolff looked to be in complete control Friday, but bogeys on 16 and 18 brought him back down the leaderboard, closing his lead to just two shots heading into the weekend.
Scottie Scheffler, on the other hand, charged up the leaderboard when he made five straight birdies on his back-nine which helped him to get to 7 under on the day, 11 under in total, and two back going into moving day.
Check out the third-round tee times and groupings below, as well as this week’s TV schedule. All times listed are Eastern.
1st tee
10:19 a.m.
Andrew Putnam, Joel Dahmen, Tony Finau
10:30 a.m.
Abraham Ancer, Brendon Todd, Roberto Diaz
10:41 a.m.
Alex Noren, Doc Redman, Nick Taylor
10:52 a.m.
Charles Howell III. Joaquin Niemann, Seamus Power
11:03 a.m.
Denny McCarthy, John Huh, Thomas Detry
11:14 a.m.
Martin Laird, Matt Kuchar, Garrick Higgo
11:25 a.m.
Doug Ghim, James Hahn, Andrew Landry
11:36 a.m.
Justin Thomas, J.J. Spaun, Russell Henley
11:47 a.m.
Aaron Wise, Billy Horschel, Ryan Palmer
11:58 a.m.
Michael Thompson, Sergio Garcia, Talor Gooch
12:09 p.m.
Viktor Hovland, Bill Haas, Anirban Lahiri
12:20 p.m.
Matthew Wolff, Scottie Scheffler, Carlos Ortiz
10th tee
10:19 a.m.
Danny Willett, Tyrrell Hatton, Adam Long
10:30 a.m.
Henrik Norlander, Brendan Steele, Matt Fitzpatrick
10:41 a.m.
Sepp Straka, Keith Mitchell, C.T. Pan
10:52 a.m.
Brandt Snedeker, Patton Kizzire, Adam Hadwin
11:03 a.m.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Scott Piercy, Danny Lee
11:14 a.m.
Chris Kirk, Kevin Tway, Tyler Duncan
11:25 a.m.
Justin Rose, Maverick McNealy, Adam Svensson
11:36 a.m.
Brian Stuard, Charl Schwartzel, Patrick Reed
11:47 a.m.
Keegan Bradley, Aaron Rai, Andrew Novak
11:58 a.m.
Greyson Sigg, Troy Merrit, Tom Hoge
12:09 p.m.
Chez Reavie, Rickie Fowler
12:20 p.m.
Hudson Swafford, Vincent Whaley
TV, radio information
You can watch Golf Channel for free on fuboTV. All times ET.
Saturday, Nov. 6
TV
Golf Channel: 2-5 p.m.
Radio
SiriusXM: 12-5 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 7
TV
Golf Channel: 2-5 p.m.
Radio
SiriusXM: 12-5 p.m.
We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up for a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.
“It was a hard finish, but I was really happy with how I played today.”
Through 31 holes at the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba, Matthew Wolff was up five shots on the field, making it easy to envision a second career PGA Tour title for the 22-year-old.
Scottie Scheffler then drained his fifth straight birdie on his back nine to cut it to four.
Wolff stumbled just a bit coming home with bogeys on 16 and 18 but his second-round 64, one day after his career-best 61, gives him a two-shot lead heading into the weekend at the El Camaleon Golf Club in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
This week marks the first time in his career that Wolff has held the solo lead after both 18 and 36 holes.
“No. 16 just doesn’t really set up well for me, not going to take driver there, and 3-wood kind of works away from the fairway,” he said after his round. “You know, like I said, it was a hard finish, but I was really happy with how I played today.”
Matthew Wolff of the United States looks on from the ninth green during the second round of the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba on El Camaleon golf course on November 05, 2021 in Playa del Carmen. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
One key for Wolff is that he’s keeping the ball in play.
“I haven’t hit one ball out of play yet. Not to jinx myself, but like I said, feel really confident with every part of my game. My 2-iron and 3-wood are just really strong right now. I feel like I’m not even really giving up that much distance because balls aren’t rolling really in the fairway.”
Wolff won for the first time on the PGA Tour in his fourth start. He wasn’t even 21 yet when he hoisted the trophy at the 3M Open. Now he’s looking for win No. 2 in his 52nd career start.
As for his dinner plans on Friday?
“I’m actually going to go to Saffron in Banyan Tree here. It’s a Thai place that a lot of people say is really good,” he said.
Scheffler made things interesting by making a run up the leaderboard late in the day. He needed just 15 strokes over five holes to card those five straight birdies and vault into solo second. He is seeking his first Tour win.
“It’s not necessarily just bomb driver every time and I kind of appreciate that about this course,” he said. “You really just have to put the ball in position, there’s really no way around it.”
Carlos Ortiz and Viktor Hovland, who each shot 65 on Friday, are tied for third. Hovland, seeking to become the first repeat champion in the event, had a bit of a bad break Friday.
“I was 3-under par going on my front nine, the back nine. Then I get to the first hole, hit it in the left rough and I didn’t have very far in and I pushed it a little bit and literally landed four steps right of the pin, hits a sprinkler head and goes in the trees over the green. That was obviously, that’s a bad break, but it’s not like I sliced it OB or something like that. I knew I was playing good golf, so I just had to reset, and I was happy I made five birdies coming in.”
Hovland also seamlessly overcame a broken-driver incident on the driving range on Thursday, which caused him to go to the backup.
“Yeah. It’s honestly, yeah, I think from an accuracy standpoint, I think the driver might be better.”
“Yeah, I know I can make it happen, so at the end of the day I want to be in contention for the last nine holes of the tournament and that’s my goal pretty much. Just have to keep playing some good golf and enjoy myself.”
Notables who missed the cut
The cut was 4 under and Brooks Koepka is among those who won’t play the weekend. Koepka shot 71-71 to finish even and tied for 108th. Lucas Herbert, who won a week ago at Bermuda, couldn’t recover from his opening round 75 and finished 1 over.
Up next
The Tour is back stateside next week for the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open.
It would be hard to name a program that produces more Tour-level talent than Oklahoma State.
It’s tough to find a college program that churns out more Tour-bound talent than Oklahoma State. Matthew Wolff, Rickie Fowler and Viktor Hovland are just a few of the recent stars.
Wolff made noise in the opening round of the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba with a 10-under 61. Cowboys men’s golf coach Alan Bratton later joined the Golf Channel broadcast to discuss some former and current members of his program.
Wolff has been battling his game for several months but has started to show signs of regaining his past form. Thursday was a perfect example as Wolff went bogey free for a round which not only set the course record at El Camaleon but earned him the 18-hole lead.
“Really proud of Matt. Traded messages with him earlier today and he was really proud he got the course record,” Bratton told Golf Channel. “He told me at Vegas, he texted me, and told me he was starting to get his game where he likes it to be. I think he said, ‘I’m back.'”
Wolff is looking to win for the first time since the 2019 3M Open, his only win on Tour.
Hovland, who’s the defending champion this week, made a nice five-footer on his last hole of the day Thursday to close out an opening 4-under 67. During his time at Oklahoma State, Hovland was the recipient of the 2019 Ben Hogan Award, given annually to the best men’s collegiate golfer based on year-long performance in college and amateur events.
“I’m not surprised at all Viktor’s settled in as one of the best players in the world…he’s got a confidence that I think is really rare,” Bratton said. “That’s one of the big separators for him is the confidence he has in his ability to execute. He’s not afraid to be vulnerable, and he has a clear picture of where he wants to go with his game and what he needs to do to continue to rise.”
Hovland will need to play more solid golf if he hopes to catch his old Cowboy teammate before the weekend gets underway in Mexico.
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Eugenio Chacarra is currently a senior at Oklahoma State but is in the field this week in Mexico. His first round didn’t go according to plan as he paired seven bogies with five birdies for a first-round 73. He’ll have to make a run on Friday to make the cut as the expected number to hit will hover around 4 under.
Despite his struggles Thursday, his coach had glowing remarks about his game.
“He’s as talented as anyone who’s ever played at Oklahoma State. He doesn’t have the resume just yet,” Bratton told Golf Channel. “His talent is off the chart. He’s a fantastic ball-striker, and just an incredible talent, and a big, big personality.
“I think the sky is the limit and I’m not afraid to make a statement like that. The kid is really, really talented.”
Another member of the current Cowboy squad, Bo Jin, currently is in contention at the Asia-Pacific Amateur being played at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club. He went bogey-free in the second round, and if he holds on to claim the win, he’ll earn an invitation to the 2022 Masters, among other exemptions.
Hovland made the most of a bad situation on Thursday.
We’ve all done it.
You’re on the range with some friends or family warming up and you play “pass the club.” Someone hits a few shots with your driver, you take a few cuts with one of their clubs, no big deal, right?
Well the same thing happens on the PGA Tour, just ask Danny Lee and Viktor Hovland. Lee was doing a speed session near Hovland before the first round of the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba on Thursday and the two started to chat. We’ll let the young Norwegian take it from here.
“He asked me if I could hit some on his quad and I hit some drives as hard as I could and then he went back to hitting his and like I was just kind of a, I was just curious, I wanted to see if he could get his ball speed up with my driver that was a little longer,” explained Hovland. “Yeah, and then the rest is history.”
“The rest” in reality was Hovland’s driver snapping into pieces. Plural.
“Yeah, I don’t know where it snapped or how he snapped it, but I just look up after he hit the shot and it was in pieces,” added Hovland, who had a backup driver head, but didn’t have a backup shaft.
“James Hahn was in front and he was nice enough to lend me one of his backups. It’s a little bit shorter, it’s a different shaft, but honestly, almost helped me this week because it’s a little shorter,” said Hovland. “It probably goes 10 yards shorter, but I just felt like I could really hit it a little lower and a little straighter. So I’m hitting that thing really well.”
How well? Hovland, currently T-20 at 4 under, missed just two fairways but, “those weren’t with the driver. Every time I pulled the driver, it was in the fairway.”
