Hey golf fans! Get ready for an exciting week at the World Wide Technology Championship. While Tiger Woods won’t be playing, this tournament marks the debut of one of his course designs on the PGA Tour. El Cardonal at Diamante, located on the beautiful Baja Peninsula, will be the host venue for this week’s event. With just three events left in the FedExCup Fall series, the stakes are high for the 132 golfers competing.
Let’s talk about the course. El Cardonal is the first course designed by Tiger Woods’ TGR Design and the first of his courses to be used in a PGA Tour event. When it opened in 2014, Tiger expressed his desire to gradually venture into golf course architecture while still actively playing on the PGA Tour. Now that his playing days are mostly behind him, we can expect his course portfolio to expand rapidly. Tiger is known for his commitment and dedication, so we can anticipate great things from his future designs.
El Cardonal is a resort course that is not overly challenging for the Tour pros. It’s a par 72, stretching 7,452 yards on the scorecard. The fairways are incredibly generous, averaging 60 yards wide, which is a luxury the pros don’t often encounter. Additionally, the greens are massive, with an average size of around 8,300 square feet. This means we can expect high fairways-hit and GIR (greens in regulation) numbers this week.
The turf at El Cardonal is covered in Platinum paspalum, a type of grass commonly found on coastal courses. The coastal breeze can be a game-changer, but the current weather forecast suggests relatively calm conditions with winds under 10 MPH. So, we might witness some low scores, and the winner could easily surpass the 20-under mark.
Although we don’t have course history to rely on, we can look at correlated courses to get an idea of what to expect. Courses like Corales GC, Vidanta Vallarta, Grand Reserve, and El Camaleon share similarities with El Cardonal in terms of being coastal, resort-style courses with paspalum greens. Other coastal courses like Harbour Town, Sea Island, Pebble Beach, Albany, Kapalua, and Torrey Pines could also provide relevant insights.
Now, let’s talk about the golfers to watch this week. First up is Ludvig Aberg, who opens as the betting favorite at +900. It’s incredible to see his rapid rise in the golfing world, considering he was still in college just five months ago. Aberg has recorded top 15 finishes in his last six worldwide events, and he’s definitely one to keep an eye on.
Next, we have Cameron Young, who didn’t make it to East Lake this year but secured a spot in the top 50 of the FedExCup standings. This will be his first action in the FedExCup Fall series, so his current form is a bit of a mystery. However, he’s proven himself as a talented player and is expected to perform well.
Maverick McNealy is another golfer to watch. After a shoulder injury earlier this year, he took a break to recover and will be making his comeback this week. It’s wise to wait and see how he performs before making any investment in him for future events.
Akshay Bhatia has shown a knack for performing on coastal courses. With three top 5 finishes on the PGA Tour, two of which were on coastal layouts, he has a good chance of making an impact this week. Keep an eye on this 21-year-old as he has the potential for a breakout performance.
Lastly, we have Sahith Theegala, who could have easily taken a break after his win in Napa. However, he’s chosen to continue playing, posting a solid T-19 finish at the Zozo Championship in Japan. Now, he’s headed to Mexico for the World Wide Technology Championship. Theegala’s love for golf and his willingness to travel make him an interesting contender.
To wrap it up, here’s a ranking of the field to give you an idea of the top players to watch: 1. Ludvig Aberg, 2. Sahith Theegala, 3. Cameron Young, 4. Stephan Jaeger, 5. Beau Hossler, 6. J.J. Spaun, 7. Emiliano Grillo, 8. Thomas Detry, 9. Lucas Glover, 10. Chris Kirk, 11. Adam Svensson, 12. Keith Mitchell, 13. Akshay Bhatia, 14. Justin Suh, 15. Mark Hubbard, 16. Ben Griffin, 17. Davis Thompson, 18. Andrew Putnam, 19. Doug Ghim, 20. Matt Kuchar.
Get ready for an exciting week of golf at the World Wide Technology Championship!
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