The course is intended to test golfer of all abilities The Tiger Woods-designed course is the host of the PGA Tour's World Wide Technology Championship The PGA Tour’s World Wide Technology Championship had been held at El Camaleon Golf Club at Mayakoba since its inception in 2007 that all changed in 2023 when bitter rival LIV Golf secured the course for the Mexico leg of its big-money League Undeterred, that March, the PGA Tour unveiled a course designed by one of its all-time greats, Tiger Woods as the new home of the FedEx Cup Fall tournament Woods promised the course would "remind people of the old-style California courses” where he had grown up while challenging players to “think and make choices.” Putnam remarked that the course was too easy while Kraft suggested the PGA Tour hadn’t made the best choice to replace the Mayakoba course Thomas Detry also came a cropper at the par 3 16 when his ball rolled off the front edge of the green and into a steep native area below That led some fans to question the design while others argued it was to do with the course set-up for the tournament and Kim perhaps had the most balanced view While he said the fairways "could be some of the widest fairways on tour if not the widest” he complimented Woods' design on the varied layouts of the greens while he felt the 15-time Major winner had designed a course that "fit his own game," something "famous players" often do when turning their hand to design and it’s likely to remain part of the PGA Tour for some time to come with the arrangement set to hold for five years Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts The course was never meant to be particularly penal and Woods has admitted he had his pro-am partners in mind when conceiving it it is also intended to test players of most abilities The wide fairways were a conscious choice to ensure options and leeway for players with higher handicaps while its length – a hefty 7,452 yards off the back tees including the 601-yard sixth – is meant to challenge even the best players with stunning views over the Pacific Ocean while it has mature vegetation and utilizes the area’s natural arroyos and native dunes The course also has cacti and palo verde trees with a 240-foot drop between the 17th tee and third fairway Kim also wondered how it would play on a windy day and that is definitely a factor capable of making a round one day an altogether different experience to one the next perhaps the only way to assess the merits of the course is to experience it and the good news is that it’s open to the public The course is part of the luxury Diamante resort the Oasis Short Course - a 12-hole par-3 course - on-site There is a second championship course at the location with tee times to be arranged once your reservation is confirmed There is a minimum three-night stay at the resort and El Cardonal has a green fee of $400 per player Rental of a four-seater golf cart costs approximately $120 with a cost of approximately $140 for a six-seater golf cart but they typically start at $1,450 per night depending on the season Mike HallNews WriterMike has over 25 years of experience in journalism including writing on a range of sports throughout that time Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.  He has written hundreds of articles on the game from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.  Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997 He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.  Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography about golf’s founding father and son remains one of his all-time favourite sports books a Florida native who is in his second year at El Cardonal at Diamante in Cabo San Lucas He is hosting the PGA Tour’s World Wide Technology Championship scheduled Nov Howard Richman is GCM’s associate editor Tom Whitney jumped into the first-round lead on Thursday at El Cardonal The 2024 World Wide Technology Championship continues on Friday with the second round at El Cardonal in Mexico Here’s everything you need to know to watch the World Wide Technology Championship on Friday After the first round at the Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal course who has never won and recorded zero top-10s in 2024 fired a five-under 67 to move in front by one shot after 18 holes Defending champion Erik van Rooyen also had a great opening day shooting a 68 to join a large group of players one back at four under You can watch the second round of the 2024 World Wide Technology Championship on TV via Golf Channel which will air coverage beginning at 2 p.m you can watch a live simulcast on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports App Below you will find everything you need to watch the second round of the World Wide Technology Championship Golf Channel will carry second-round TV coverage of the 2024 World Wide Technology Championship from 2-5 p.m You can stream the second round of the 2024 World Wide Technology Championship via NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports App with an active cable subscription and manages the brand’s e-newsletters which reach more than 1.4 million subscribers each month he also helps keep GOLF.com humming outside the news-breaking stories and service content provided by our reporters and writers and works with the tech team in the development of new products and innovative ways to deliver an engaging site to our audience All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team The PGA Tour is back in action this week for the World Wide Technology Championship south of the border The Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal at Diamante Cabo San Lucas in Los Cabos once again plays host after making its Tour debut in 2023 Cameron Young — still looking for his first win — headlines the field and will be joined by defending champion Erik van Rooyen, Lucas Glover, Harris English, Keith Mitchell, Maverick McNealy and Beau Hossler, among others. Zozo Championship winner Nico Echavarria — finished T-31 at El Cardonal last year — will also tee it up Thursday This week's winner will go home with $1.296 million of the $7.2 million purse More: Enjoy golf on Cabo time at Cove Club, Diamante in Cabo San Lucas let's jump into our betting preview for the World Wide Technology Championship El Cardonal at Diamante Cabo San Lucas | Par 72 | 7,452 yards World Wide Technology Championship oddsPlayerOddsPlayerOddsMax Greyserman(+1600)Lucas Glover(+2800)Doug Ghim(+2200)Sam Stevens(+3000)Cameron Young(+2200)Matt Kuchar(+3000)Matti Schmid(+2200)Keith Mitchell(+3000)Harris English(+2500)Jhonattan Vegas(+3000)Beau Hossler(+2500)Erik van Rooyen(+3500)J.J Spaun(+2800)Tom Hoge(+3500)Harry Hall(+2800)Taylor Moore(+3500)Ben Griffin(+2800)Daniel Berger(+4000)Maverick McNealy(+2800)Austin Eckroat(+4000)Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage see operator site for Terms and Conditions If you or someone you know has a gambling problem Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside Analysis: Young has burned me more times than I'd like to remember Not many players on Tour can make birdies in bunches as well as Young does just look at the 59 he posted earlier this season at the Travelers he's the one big name in this rank-and-file field he can take advantage of that and grab his first Tour win Update: Young has withdrawn from the event Analysis: This pick makes me a little nervous thanks to Mitchell's case of the Sunday Scaries Mitchell ranks T-4 in proximity from the fairway and second in birdie average he played some great golf at the Sanderson Farms Championship in early October where he finished T-3 after being the 54-hole leader Michael Kim (45/1)Analysis: Kim is known by most fans for his Twitter/X presence He's fresh off a T-5 finish at the Shriners Children's Open and he tied for 23rd at El Cardonal in 2023 Kim ranks 12th in proximity from the fairway and sixth in birdie average All signs point to the Cal product having a nice week in Mexico Analysis: Kizzire is coming off a missed cut at the Shriners Children's Open in Las Vegas but has played some great golf during the FedEx Cup Fall including a win at the Procore Championship and a T-11 finish at the Sanderson Farms Championship Kizzire thrives in two of our key categories for the week He's T-4 in proximity from the fairway and fifth in birdie average This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Jack Nicklaus may have been the first legendary figure to put Los Cabos on the golfing map when his layouts at Palmilla and Cabo del Sol opened to acclaim in the early 1990s the man still chasing Nicklaus’ record for all-time major championships and he’s done something locally that Nicklaus never did: bring a PGA tournament to Los Cabos This year, the winner will not only score a significant cash prize but will earn a two-year PGA Tour exemption 500 FedExCup points and entry into select 2025 tournaments like The Sentry and The Players Championship is the qualification process that allows Mexican players to become eligible for play four Mexican golfers played in the WWTC: Isidro Benitez of Puebla; Roberto Díaz of Veracruz; Pachuca native José Cristóbal Islas; and Mexico City’s Sebastián Vázquez Whatever the announced field, the course they’ll be playing on is the same world-class one as a year ago. El Cardonal was the first ever Tiger Woods-designed course to be completed The 7,363-yard parkland-style layout premiered in Cabo San Lucas in 2014 and was intended to evoke the “Old California” courses Woods grew up playing with a closing par-5 that almost guarantees dramatic finishes Van Rooyen eagled the 537-yard 18th in the final round of the 2023 event with those two strokes accounting for his margin of victory players will arrive and register at El Cardonal by Monday with the course available for practice rounds on the 4 and 5 before the tournament tees off on Thursday tickets aren’t available for the practice rounds or the Pro-Am events on Nov General admission tickets have been on sale since Aug 1 and remain surprisingly affordable by Los Cabos standards: only US $35 per person for Rounds 1 and 2 with the price increasing to $40 and $45 for Rounds 3 and 4 Or you can buy a ticket for all four days for $139 Children under 15 get in free if accompanied by a ticket-holding adult That’s for an entry pass to watch the tournament and enjoy most concession areas. To access the upgraded VIP areas will require a more substantial outlay. Meanwhile, to enjoy hospitality privileges at Wood’s superb restaurant, The Woods Cabo which commands views of the first and 18th holes… you might need to sell your car Where do you park if you still have a car? At a designated parking lot near Diamante  with a free shuttle that continuously ferries fans to the course entrance and back Another free shuttle leaves from downtown Cabo San Lucas For those not expecting to be in Los Cabos to attend the tournament it’s still possible to watch it on television The Golf Channel will provide coverage for U.S while those in Mexico can follow along via Golf Channel Latin America The first Wonderful World of Golf matchup in 1996 saw Nicklaus lose to Lee Trevino on a course he designed at Cabo del Sol’s Ocean Course The other Shell event featured two more major champions, Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia, competing at the then-new and still remarkable Tom Fazio-designed Querencia Golf Club in 2001 Woods was influential in getting the tournament to Los Cabos with the PGA ultimately inking a 5-year deal to have the WWTC hosted at Diamante the luxury development on the Pacific Coast of Cabo San Lucas where Woods has designed two courses (El Cardonal and the 12-hole Oasis Short Course) and has another (The Legacy Club) on the way Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook and a contributor to numerous websites and publications His specialty is travel-related content and lifestyle features focused on food ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC .css-s4id4f{font-family:Suisse Intl,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:1.9rem;line-height:2.2rem;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:-0.01em;}Official Money Erik van Rooyen’s caddie reflects on emotional win at World Wide Technology Los Cabos welcomes the World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal at Diamante for the second time Although not installed as the betting favorite this week at the BetMGM Sportsbook reigning champion Erik van Rooyen (+3300) is the only player to lift the trophy on the Baja Peninsula Posting 27-under on the par-72 layout last year the South African eagled the final hole to win by two shots Players listed are in the field this week; 2024 season stats Designed by Tiger Woods and TGR Design and opened in 2014 El Cardonal at Diamante ranked as one of the easiest courses on TOUR in 2023 The resort course produced a scoring average of 68.993 No course conceded more birdies (2,094) or eagles (61) last year Van Rooyen circled 27 birdies (T8) and added three eagles to offset four bogeys and a double Seven players produced more birdies than the winner the field averaged 16 par breakers for the week and the top nine players posted 20-under or better SG: Approach the Green the preferred grass of most seaside courses in the Caribbean and Mexico El Cardonal at Diamante stretches 7,452 yards With landing areas in the fairways pushing 60 yards wide just one water penalty area and no rough framing of the short grass everyone will have a chance to attack the hole locations and those who can control the spin and trajectory will have the best chances to hole birdie putts (Note: ShotLink is not in use for this event) Last year Justin Suh (+6600) hit 51 of 56 fairways (T38) but led the field in both Greens in Regulation (67 of 72) and Birdies (31) and did not produce a round higher than 68 Birdie or Better Percentage Contending in a shootout requires converting Greens in Regulation to birdies or better. Last year, all the players in the top nine posted 20-under or lower. The resort course conceded 10-under-par or better to 68 of the 73 players who advanced to the weekend. Those 73 players produced nine rounds ABOVE par for the entire week. Nate Lashley (+5000): Top finishes on Paspalum included a victory and T4 at Corales Puntacana Championship, three top-10 paydays at the Puerto Rico Open, T11 at Vidanta Vallarta, and T10 here last year. Nico Echavarria (+5500): The winner at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP two weeks ago won for the first time on the PGA TOUR in March 2023 at the Puerto Rico Open. The two-time winner on TOUR loves the seaside surface and cashed checks of T15 or better at Corales and Puerto Rico earlier this season. Chad Ramey (+6600) and Joel Dahmen (+10000) have both won the Corales Puntacana Championship in the last five years on a similar design … Harris English (+2800) and Patton Kizzire (+6600) are former event champions at Mayakoba on Paspalum … Brandon Wu (+20000) has cashed T13, third and T2 in three trips to Puerto Vallarta and was twice in the top 10 in Puerto Rico. Hey, everyone needs a long shot! For resources to overcome a gambling problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER today. Copyright © 2025 PGA TOUR, Inc. All rights reserved. and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission the PGA Tour will host The World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal on the Diamante Cabo San Lucas resort at the tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula the tournament has produced a variety of champions—from surprises to stars to first-timers With time winding down for players to secure their Tour cards for 2025 With three events left in the FedExCup Fall players are fighting to secure their cards for 2025 Players inside the top 125 in points will do so he's safe for next year by virtue of his 2023 win at the Corales Puntacana Championship Hayden Springer and Joel Dahmen sit at Nos and are all in the 120-player field this week Daniel Berger and Pierceson Coody) are also in the field View the full field here—and the points list here The first 16 iterations of the WWT Championship took place in Riviera Maya at Mayakoba when the course accepted an offer to host a LIV Golf event the PGA Tour moved the event to the Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal Woods’s layout made an impression on the players “Tiger was talking about how he just likes to make people think on the golf course and the back nine out here is just all strategy,” Sahith Theegala said ahead of last year's tournament You need to have good angles or else these little cacti come into play and the way the arroyos and the desert is around the greens The average fairway widths are 60 yards with zero acres of rough There are 48 bunkers with one water hazard In addition to setting the tournament record in relation to par that mark was tied for the second-lowest total on Tour all year Van Rooyen's path to victory last year was as impressive as it gets The South African went birdie-birdie-eagle in his final three holes for a back-nine 8-under 28 to claim the victory having come into the week ranked 125th in the FedExCup Fall standings the last spot to keep his card for the following season his best friend and former teammate at the University of Minnesota was battling Stage 4 melanoma “He’s not gonna make it,” van Rooyen told NBC Sports on the 18th green after the win And when you’re playing for something bigger than winning some silly trophy 5 and boarded a flight to Minnesota the next morning to say goodbye All four rounds of the World Wide Technology Championship will be on Golf Channel from 2–5 p.m PGA Tour radio will also broadcast all four rounds from 1–6 p.m The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Timberlake x Nike shoe collab early access Maverick McNealy hits his tee shot on Saturday on the 7th hole at El Cardonal at Diamante In this, an article on the World Wide Technology Championship winner’s share, it also might be of some service to tell how to claim the winner’s share. Or at least Maverick McNealy’s version McNealy’s never won before on the PGA Tour But he’s come agonizingly close.  He also thinks he knows why, and Saturday, after third-round play at El Cardonal at Diamante he described what it would take on Sunday.  you definitely have to play a little bit more aggressively,” he said “ It doesn’t mean you have to take it to stupid targets but you have to go low and shoot a good score to win.” “Really got to watch my pace,” he continued It’s a long week and been a stressful year for a lot of guys So if I can just get a couple things tidied up on the range after and put my feet up get some rest and show up with my best stuff tomorrow here are the money payouts for the World Wide Technology Championship Golf Channel coverage of the final round starts at 2 p.m Nick Piastowski is a Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Magazine writing and developing stories across the golf space And when he’s not writing about ways to hit the golf ball farther and straighter the Milwaukee native is probably playing the game and drinking a cold beer to wash away his score You can reach out to him about any of these topics — his stories his game or his beers — at nick.piastowski@golf.com World Wide Technology is the third-to-last in the eight-event FedExCup Fall – which means there is a lot on the line for many in the field Erik van Rooyen returns to defend after an emotional triumph a year ago Here’s everything else you need to know as the TOUR heads back to Cabo FIELD NOTES: Van Rooyen is looking to become the event’s first back-to-back winner since Viktor Hovland in 2020-21 Another big week for van Rooyen could pay some serious dividends as he currently sits No 67 in the FedExCup Fall … Nico Echavarria is set to return to action after capturing the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP two weeks ago in Japan … After finishing runner-up a year ago (before going on to win his first TOUR title in nine years at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship) Villegas has missed 12 of his last 14 cuts and is hoping for a spark this week – just like a year ago … This is a big week for players hanging around the No with just three weeks remaining to secure a TOUR card for next season is teeing it up this week hoping to stay inside the full-status threshold He’s just one point ahead of Matt Wallace (not in the field) at No 125 and three points ahead of Joe Highsmith (in the field) at No 126 … After finishing inside the top 10 at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP Alejandro Tosti and Max Greyserman all earned spots in the field having finished runner-up in three of his last five starts on TOUR Walker captured the APGA Ascension Classic to earn a spot in the field … Austin Hitt a University of North Carolina alum who finished 48th on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List in 2024 on the back of three top-10 finishes will also make his PGA TOUR debut … Neal Shipley returns to action on TOUR for his 10th event of the season Shipley has missed just one cut on TOUR in 2024 with his T6 at the ISCO Championship marking his season high Shipley finished 20th on the Fortinet Cup standings on PGA TOUR Americas … European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald is set to tee it up for the first time since the Genesis Scottish Open in July … Harry Higgs who won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour this season and will return to the PGA TOUR next season after finishing No is also in action … TOUR winners Scott Piercy Ryan Palmer and Billy Andrade also received sponsor exemptions … Mexican golfers getting to tee it up in their home country include Isidro Benitez SIGNATURE EVENT STORYLINES: As part of the Aon Next 10 51-60 through the FedExCup Fall will earn their way into two early season 2025 Signature Events – the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational … With his win at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP and is in the final spot with just three weeks remaining … Jake Knapp sits at No Nick Taylor and Kevin Yu each moved up a spot with their finishes at the ZOZO and remain inside the Nos FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 FedExCup points The World Wide Technology Championship is the sixth event of the FedExCup Fall those that rank from 126-150 on the final FedExCup Fall Points List will have conditional status for the 2024 PGA TOUR Season All players outside the top 125 can improve or regain TOUR status via PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and free at PGATOUR.COM/liveaudio: The sixth of eight FedExCup Fall events heads to Los Cabos for the World Wide Technology Championship Valuable FedExCup points are up for grabs as the FedExCup Fall winds down with players fighting for full status (top 125 in the FedExCup) and spots in the Aon Next 10 (Nos 51-60 in FedExCup Fall standings) that earn players starts in the first two Signature Events Five things to know: El Cardonal at Diamante Power Rankings The First Look Inside the Field Monday qualifiers Three players share 54-hole lead at World Wide Technology Justin Lower and Carson Young share the lead at 16-under Three players trail by one stroke: Austin Eckroat is chasing down back-to-back victories while Lower and Young will look to win their maiden TOUR titles Nico Echavarria, Justin Lower, Carson Young share lead heading into final round at World Wide Technology Emotions run high as Justin Lower, others eye maiden TOUR win at World Wide Technology Championship Draws and Fades: Anyone’s game with Sunday shootout ahead at Tiger’s El Cardonal Beau Hossler unknowingly makes 179-yard ace at World Wide Technology Championship Inside the bag: UCLA's Omar Morales reveals gold-faced prototype putter Golfbet Insider Rob Bolton on the World Wide Technology Championship Editor's Note: Cameron Young withdrew from the World Wide Technology Championship on Wednesday, Nov. 6, and was replaced in the field by Sean O'Hair. With campaigns reaching their conclusion and elections in the United States arriving at outcomes, it’s as fitting as it is timely that the PGA TOUR heads to where many Americans escape from intensity and stress: Cabo San Lucas on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. El Cardonal at Diamante in Los Cabos hosts the World Wide Technology Championship for the second time. If its return is as fun as its foray – and there’s no reason why it won’t be – then a good time is guaranteed. No matter one’s political persuasion, the enjoyment of this experience draws unanimous approval. Continue reading beneath the ranking of those projected to contend for how the course sets up, what last year’s inaugural field learned and more. As advertised. That’s how the debut of Tiger Woods’ debut as an architect on the PGA TOUR can be defined. El Cardonal at Diamante embodies Woods’ mission as a designer to give golfers the opportunity to have fun, but giving professional golfers of the highest level that same opportunity can yield remarkable results. With no rough and giant greens, the scoring average on the stock par 72 landed at 68.993. Erik van Rooyen prevailed by two strokes at 27-under 261. Of the 292 scores posted by the 73 golfers who completed 72 holes, 265 (or 90.7 percent) were red numbers. For the week, all golfers averaged 12.67 (of 14) fairways hit and 14.59 greens in regulation per round. That slotted El Cardonal as the easiest off the tee and second-easiest on approach of 58 tracks played across the extended 2022-23 season. And in terms of difficulty, the sets of par 3s, par 4s and par 5s ranked a respective 57th, T52 and T45. Even inexperience wasn’t a headwind. On top of the overall ease, the bones that Woods tossed to golfers who go off in split tees also fulfilled the predictions of ensuring everyone a smooth transition from the practice area. The 582-yard, par-5 first hole averaged just 4.317, while the drivable par-4 10th at 344 yards checked in at 3.668. Both holes ranked inside the top 10 among all of their respective pars for the season. In fact, the wind won’t be too bad all things considered. Stronger sustained breezes are the norm in other tropical TOUR stops like Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. This week’s worst may not even measure 20 mph. It even calms on the weekend, so scoring should drop comparably. Daytime highs will flirt with 80 degrees and sunshine will rule. NOTE: ShotLink is not utilized for this tournament. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE MONDAY: Power RankingsTUESDAY: SleepersWEDNESDAY: Golfbet InsiderSUNDAY: Points and Payouts; Medical Extensions; Qualifiers; Reshuffle Streelman tied at the top after 18 holes at World Wide Technology ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP winner Nico Echavarria shot a 9-under 63 to share the lead with Max Greyserman at 12-under Carson Young shot a career-best 61 to sit at 11-under and Dylan Wu a 65 to get to 10-under Austin Eckroat (67) and Kelly Kraft (67) trail close behind at 9-under Nico Echavarria shares World Wide Technology Championship lead with Max Greyserman in bid for second straight win Tom Whitney, Kevin Streelman, Rico Hoey share Thursday lead in Mexico at windy World Wide Technology Championship Carson Young’s Round 3 highlights from World Wide Technology Tiger Woods always loved a Sunday showdown on the PGA TOUR and while the legendary player isn’t in the field at the World Wide Technology Championship, his first TOUR course design of El Cardonal will play host to final round fireworks. Nico Echavarria is in great position to go back-to-back on the PGA TOUR but with a birdie barrage still available to the chasers on this resort design from Woods, and with 29 players within six shots of the lead, this championship is well and truly wide open. Echavarria won the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP in Japan in the prior FedExCup Fall event leading into this and for a long time looked set to streak away with another title. But a run of six pars to finish his third round left him in a three-way tie for the lead at 16-under. Justin Lower showed what’s possible for the chasers on Sunday with a Saturday 9-under 63 to join Echavarria at the top. Carson Young’s 67 also found him sharing the 54-hole lead as he chases a first TOUR win. With similar weather conditions expected on Sunday – that being sunny with winds around 7-12mph with some slightly gustier periods – the ability to go low should still be available at El Cardonal. We’ve already seen a 61 this week and last year’s winner – Erik van Rooyen – closed with a 63 to take the title. This time around Joe Highsmith (65), Austin Eckroat (66) and Max Greyserman (69) share fourth just one off the pace at 15-under while Ben Griffin (66) and Maverick McNealy (67) are tied seventh just two shots back of the lead. Five players sit four back, seven others are within five and nine more are six off the pace with dreams of winning still alive. The oddsmakers at BetMGM Sportsbook are also wary of multiple players having a shot at the trophy. The outright odds are as follows with eight players at +1200 or lower. So let’s take a look at the in-play betting options ahead of the chase for glory. Before the final holes, Echavarria looked like he could take this tournament and run with it, backing up his ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP in fine fashion. Now the question is whether the treadmill finish is a sign of things to come or just a cold stretch he will shake off Sunday. Leads the field in Driving Accuracy, Scrambling, Par 4 Scoring, and Bogey Avoidance (he has none)! Is also second in Greens In Regulation so his form does appear ominous … Greyserman has the chance to go from the guy with three runner-up finishes so far this season on the TOUR to a breakthrough winner. The narrative of a good player unable to truly close can be smashed into smithereens or it can grow bigger … I love the talent of this player and seeing he leads the field in Putting Average and Back 9 Scoring gives me hope. But he’s lagging in Par 5 Scoring compared to others and is T35 in GIR. He will need to hit more greens to let his putter cook. I must admit Lower was not on my radar this week but perhaps he should have been given his best TOUR result was a T3 at the Mexico Open at Vidanta and he was also T4 at the Corales Puntacana Championship off the U.S. mainland. Also leads the field in Par 5 Scoring. Despite his lofty leaderboard position the fact he admitted to suffering from an illness through the week has me staying off this storyline. You could have got great odds for Carson Young beating Cameron Young to a TOUR title but with the former Rookie of the Year withdrawing pre-tournament this week it’s been left to Carson to fly the flag and move into the top spot. Leading the field in Driving Accuracy, Par 4 Scoring and Total Birdies plus having put up the lowest round (61) this week and running second in GIR, this could be the guy to take on Echavarria. We highlighted Griffin at +2500 pre-tournament because he was 51st in SG: Putting and 24th in SG: Around-the-Green, two stats that appeared key to this course. This week he is tied best at total birdies and Par 5 Scoring and he’s second in Putting Average. As hard as it is to admit, Golfbet’s Matt Delvecchio might be signing off his time with a winner having picked Griffin as his man on Tuesday. CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO - NOVEMBER 08: Beau Hossler of the United States plays his shot from the 11th tee and makes a hole in one during the second round of the World Wide Technology Championship 2024 at El Cardonal at Diamante on November 08, 2024 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images) Beau Hossler aced the 179-yard 11th hole in Round 2 of the World Wide Technology Championship, the second hole-in-one of his PGA TOUR career. The shot came with Hossler already enjoying a stirring second-round comeback. The former University of Texas star, who shot an opening 76 in stiff winds at El Cardonal at Diamante in Los Cabos, Mexico, was 5-under on the day when he made his ace. The ace was unbeknownst to Hossler, his caddie and playing partners, as they were overheard asking: "Did it go in?" with a reply of "No, I don't think so." It’s been a stellar fall so far for Hossler, 29. He finished second in a playoff to Kevin Yu at the Sanderson Farms Championship, and was T11 at the inaugural Black Desert Championship. He’s up to 66th in the FedExCup Fall, just outside the magic number to get into two early Signature Events next year. Nos. 51-60 at the conclusion of The RSM Classic, the last event of the FedExCup Fall, on Nov. 24 will get into the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational via the Aon Next 10. "It's cool," Hossler said after signing for a second-round 63 to easily make the cut at 5-under par total. "I mean, you're kind of just grinding trying to make the cut. I played so poorly yesterday that I was trying not to get too high or too low and just kind of grind it out. Even this golf course with not too much wind can be pretty tricky and weird stuff can happen. I was more excited about the 2-under par on the hole than necessarily making an ace." Cabo San Lucas acts as an escape for Americans each year and the course provides a break from the often straining ins and outs of daily life Is it a coincidence that the PGA Tour heads to Mexico on a week when many Americans are wrapped in the chaos of the upcoming election Yes -- and perhaps the PGA Tour can offer a respite from the drama The 2024 WWT Championship marks the second straight Tour event held outside of American soil, following a thrilling finish to the Zozo Championship in Japan two weeks ago Nico Echavarria catapulted from 113th place to 65th in the standings, and he now finds himself in a position to climb into the top 60, which would place him in two early-season signature events via the AON Next 10. Others will look to do the same this week south of the border Yes -- you read that correctly. El Cardonal at Diamante is designed by none other than the great Tiger Woods Woods has recently immersed himself in the world of golf course design and El Cardonal at Diamante was his team's first A truly unique layout with cacti dotting the property Woods designed it "to remind people of the old-style California courses." This venue is an ode to his childhood and the courses he grew up playing in Southern California “There are going to be different ways to play every hole Angles of approach are going to be very important and will dictate the type of shots you should consider I love this kind of golf.” It is certainly fitting that Woods's course necessitates strategic thinking As a 7,363-yard, par-72 layout, the course will not challenge players with its length. The fairways are long but shaped by the bumpy Cabo terrain. Similarly, the greens are enormous but are undulating and askew. Black Desert Resort, which made its grand introduction to the golf world earlier this fall The two most important criteria this week are ball-striking and putting Erik van Rooyen won at 27 under par in last year's event and you can expect another low-scoring affair Let's see who has the upper hand in Cabo The latest member of the FedEx Cup Fall winner's circle may be remembered more for his role in extending Justin Thomas's winless drought that is approaching two and a half years But give credit where credit is due -- he showed guts down the stretch in Japan Do not be surprised if the Colombian finds himself in the top 60 of the standings by fall's end He wore his heart on his sleeve in 2023's edition -- one of the more heartfelt moments in golf's recent memory EVR looks to retain his spot on the throne this week but slouches into Mexico in forgetful form It's been nine consecutive events of finishes outside the top ten so the odds are stacked against the 29-year-old last year's effort shows that miracles do happen Hossler and the fall swing go hand-in-hand like Texas and perpetual CFB disappointment The former Longhorn has enjoyed a healthy fall highlighted by a runner-up finish at the Sanderson Farms Championship and you have to imagine he is as determined as ever to capture the much-elusive first Tour victory Kuchar's defining golf moment (or, more accurately, the public's defining moment of him) came in this tournament six years ago, where he infamously stiffed his caddie. But for whatever reason the vet relishes his time in Mexico: the aforementioned 2018 victory at Mayakoba and a T2 finish at El Cardonal demonstrate that but the strokes gained numbers since the summer are encouraging Bank on him finding his footing in a place so familiar You'll often find him in the best-players-without-a-win category The WWT Championship will be one of the weakest fields he played in so there is no doubt he recognizes that this week's event is an opportunity It was just a couple of years ago when golf circles were whispering about how many majors Young would win He finished T54 in his initial appearance last year To say 2024 was a tale of two seasons for Spaun would be an understatement The American had missed 10 out of 15 cuts prior to the Rocket Mortgage Classic in June capped off by a T6 in a loaded field at the Zozo Championship It is well established that English's game is suited for big-boy courses -- the Winged Foot's and Torrey Pines's of the world But few can say they have won in Mexico; English can with T6 and T9 finishes in his last two starts but Schmid's tremendous talent has carried him this far Schmid is just scratching the surface of the loads of potential he possesses; the German turns 27 later this month and it is a smart bet that his first Tour victory comes before his 30th birthday T5 and T3 finishes in Schmid's last two starts should have him eager to tee it up at El Cardonal Greyserman's closing stretch at the 3M Open wrenched viewers' hearts across the country "Hopefully it'll be [my] time next time." The Zozo presented another opportunity for it to be "his time," but he squandered it with a wayward drive on the 18th hole another T2 -- his third runner-up in his last five finishes -- shows his capabilities at the moment Glover continues to show that Father Time is no match for the 45-year-old. The fall swing has been kind to him, with a pair of T3 finishes in his last two starts. Especially of note was his performance at the Black Desert Championship -- a comparable course to El Cardonal -- where he paced the field in strokes gained on approach shots Glover was the talk of America last summer He will look to become the talk of another country this week © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands ","https://fansided.com/",{"alt":"8e","src":"8f","url":"8g"},{"type":"8d","value":"8h"},"link","Minute Media","https://www.minutemedia.com/",{"text":"8k","url":"8l"},{"type":"8j","value":"8m"},"All Rights Reserved Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands The 2024 WWT Championship marks the second straight Tour event held outside of American soil, following a thrilling finish to the Zozo Championship in Japan two weeks ago Nico Echavarria catapulted from 113th place to 65th in the standings, and he now finds himself in a position to climb into the top 60, which would place him in two early-season signature events via the AON Next 10. Others will look to do the same this week south of the border Yes -- you read that correctly. El Cardonal at Diamante is designed by none other than the great Tiger Woods As a 7,363-yard, par-72 layout, the course will not challenge players with its length. The fairways are long but shaped by the bumpy Cabo terrain. Similarly, the greens are enormous but are undulating and askew. Black Desert Resort, which made its grand introduction to the golf world earlier this fall He wore his heart on his sleeve in 2023's edition -- one of the more heartfelt moments in golf's recent memory Kuchar's defining golf moment (or, more accurately, the public's defining moment of him) came in this tournament six years ago, where he infamously stiffed his caddie. But for whatever reason The PGA Tour returns following a one-week hiatus after the Zozo Championship in Japan. This week, the Tour heads to Cabo San Lucas, where players will look to climb the FedEx Cup standings as the fall swing comes to an end. El Cardonal at Diamante hosted the World Wide Technology Championship for the first time with the stunning locale making its debut as a part of the PGA Tour schedule The World Wide Technology Championship itself has been around much longer than that The tournament made its debut on the PGA Tour back in 2007 when it became the first event to not only be played in Mexico but the first official event played outside of the United States or Canada at the time The PGA Tour returned to Mexico and Tiger Woods' El Cardonal at Diamante for the 2024 World Wide Technology Championship El Cardonal welcomed a 120-man field for the World Wide Technology Championship for the second playing of the event held at the Tiger Woods Design Despite lacking some of the biggest names in golf there was plenty at stake for those in attendance with the WWT Championship representing the sixth of eight FedEx Cup events this fall it was 29-year-old Carson Young who looked to take full advantage of the opportunity at hand at this year's World Wide Technology Championship another player searching for that breakthrough win on tour joined Young as 54-hole co-leaders in Mexico 54-hole co-leaders at World Wide Technology Championship:Justin LowerNico EchavarriaCarson YoungMost Tied for lead after the third round on TOUR this season:5 With three players tied at the top and five others no more than two shots adrift going into the final round of this year's championship it was sure to be an exhilarating conclusion to this year's World Wide Technology Championship whoever claimed this year's title at El Cardonal would not only secure the precious FedEx Cup points up for grabs but also a handsome winner's share of this year's prize purse at the World Wide Technology Championship But exactly how much was on the line at El Cardonal in 2024 and the complete payout distribution breakdown by finishing position for this year's championship Here is a look at the full payout breakdown by finishing position for all 67 players who made the cut at this year's World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico While it's to be expected that the prize money on offer throughout the FedEx Cup Fall would pale in comparison to the staggering amounts that were at stake during the 2024 PGA Tour season there is still plenty to play for in the fall in addition to the substantial prize money divvied out to this year's World Wide Technology Championship field Each of the Top 19 finishers in 2024 at El Cardonal at Diamante will earn north of $100k in prize money for their efforts while the Top 6 finishers will all receive over $250k in prize payouts in 2024 This year's champion in Mexico will earn the valuable 500 FedEx Cup points up for grabs in addition to their winner's share of the 2024 World Wide Technology Championship prize purse and all of the other perks that come with winning an event on the PGA Tour ","https://fansided.com/",{"alt":"7a","src":"7b","url":"7c"},{"type":"79","value":"7d"},"link","Minute Media","https://www.minutemedia.com/",{"text":"7g","url":"7h"},{"type":"7f","value":"7i"},"All Rights Reserved prize money","relatedPosts",[],[],[],4,0,"",{"next":"f9"},["5a"],"semantic",{"articles":"f4","articlesQueryURLs":"f5","bySearchQuery":"52","excludeProperties":"5u","excludedIDs":"f6","isFullPost":"ex","limit":"f7","offset":"f8","onlyQueryURLs":"ex","organization":"f9","pagination":"fa","properties":"fb","sourceType":"fc"},{"type":"f3","value":"fd"},{"postsList":"fe"},"Josh Chandler first joined Pro Golf Now back in 2020 Josh has five years of experience both as an editor and contributing writer After graduating from University in Scotland with a degree in Business Josh decided to pursue his lifelong dream and passion for sports and writing Josh also enjoys taking in a vast majority of other sports How much prize money is on the line at Mexico's World Wide Technology Championship in 2024 Our expert likes Ben Griffin's chances this week The FedEx Cup Fall is back and it continues on international soil for another week. Prior to taking a week off last week, the Tour was in Japan for the Zozo Championship and now it is in Los Cabos, Mexico, for the World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal at Diamante Only three events remain on the schedule for the fall season players must rank in the top 125 in FedEx Cup points in order to retain their Tour card for the 2025 season Players that finish between 51st and 60th at the end of the fall the AT&T Pebble Beach and the Genesis Invitational Van Rooyen got it to 27 under par at this par-72 course that stretches to over 7,450 yards The fairways are especially wide with no rough to speak of Without much wind to contend with last year the players were able to bring the course to its knees The forecast is not calling for much wind again this year and here in Las Vegas at the Westgate SuperBook the winning score proposition bet has been set at Under/Over 25.5 under par we must take into account Birdies or Better Gained this week in our handicap I also looked at Strokes Gained: Approach and SG: Off the Tee There is not much here as far as distance versus accuracy off the tee with the fairways being so wide but I figure I want a player is who is very efficient off the tee and if he can gain on the field in this category I also looked at Greens in Regulation Gained and how players perform on the Par 4s measuring between 450-500 yards During this FedEx Cup Fall, I feel we have seen a couple of courses recently that provide some crossover with this week’s track. Both Black Desert Resort in Utah and TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas feature wide fairways and the Paspalum grass surface being present throughout the course like we have here at Diamante and elevation change being the connective tissue We were on Griffin once earlier during this FedEx Cup Fall and it is not surprising that we find ourselves backing him again He’s one of the classier players in these less-than-star-studded fields we have been experiencing and he’s been playing well sitting at 60th in the FedEx Cup Fall standings He does nearly everything really well that we are looking at this week He ranks seventh in this field for SG: Approach over the last 36 rounds He’s eighth in SG: Putting (Paspalum) and 12th in GIR Gained Griffin ranks 17th on Tour in Scrambling and is 58th in Birdie Average Griffin was 13th at TPC Craig Ranch (CJ Cup Byron Nelson) back in May 11th at the Black Desert Championship in October and just shot 66-64 over the weekend in Japan at the Zozo Even though the stats may not say so completely English is definitely one of the more accomplished players in this field he happens to be coming off of two straight top-10 finishes at two of our correlated courses English too sits in that 51-60 window in the FedEx Cup Fall rankings needing to hold serve in order to qualify for those aforementioned Signature Events able to get it out there with some distance and accuracy which ought to translate into plenty of birdie opportunities English ranks 10th on Tour in SG: Putting and is fourth in this field for Scrambling over the last 36 rounds English has a win to his credit at Kapalua and at this tournament’s former home It was back in 2018 that he finished fifth at Puntacana Corales Stevens is a younger up-and-comer that has started to catch my eye He’s made 22 of 27 cuts this year and has finished top-20 six times He’s played in four FedEx Cup Fall events and finished top 40 in each one He’s got a great deal of distance off the tee ranking eighth in this field for SG: Off the Tee over the last 36 rounds He is also 14th in the field for Birdies or Better Gained and 15th in Scrambling Stevens ranks 31st on Tour for SG: Putting and finished third last year at Corales Puntacana.  it is easy to mix the two names up and yes Cameron Young is the much higher-profile player and is one of the favorites this week at around 20-1 but I am going to go with the much longer shot Carson Young is coming off of an 11th-place finish in Utah a few weeks ago and has eighth and 15th-place finishes at Vidanta Vallarta Young was ninth here last year at El Cardonal and took 14th last year at TPC Craig Ranch He’s very efficient off the tee per his Driving Accuracy and he’s solid all the way around as he is 23rd in this field for SG: Putting (Paspalum) over the last 24 rounds To make your own Chirp picks and win amazing prizes, download the app here Last year's World Wide Technology Championship marked the first PGA TOUR event held at a Tiger Woods design. Erik van Rooyen took the title at El Cardonal at Diamante, carding a final-nine 28 for a two-stroke win over Matt Kuchar and Camilo Villegas at 27-under 261. "He's obviously an absolute legend of the game," van Rooyen said of Woods, "and to play on a golf course that he's designed and to win a PGA TOUR tournament that is somehow in a small part linked to him, it's extremely special." El Cardonal is set to host the PGA TOUR for a second straight year, with the World Wide Technology Championship marking the third-to-last event of the 2024 FedExCup Fall calendar. The venue's expansive fairways encouraged aggressive play in Year 1 (Adam Long hit every fairway for the week, the first such feat in a TOUR event since 1992), and the same can be expected this week. Here are five things to know about El Cardonal at Diamante ahead of the World Wide Technology Championship. El Cardonal opened in 2014, making it the first course completed by Woods’ TGR Design firm after earlier projects were derailed by the global financial crisis. El Cardonal also is the first Woods design to host a TOUR event. “I set up the golf strategy to make golfers think and make choices,” Woods said on the course website. “There are going to be different ways to play every hole. Angles of approach are going to be very important and will dictate the type of shots you should consider. I love this kind of golf.” The course is part of the successful Diamante Resort on the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas, which also features the Davis Love III-designed Dunes Course and the par-3 Oasis Short Course also designed by Woods. The Oasis course opened in December 2016. For Woods, El Cardonal was followed by Bluejack National (2016) north of Houston, the short course at Diamante, the 10-hole Playground at Jack’s Bay (2020) in the Bahamas, Payne’s Valley at Big Cedar Lodge (2020) in Missouri, the nine-hole The Hay at Pebble Beach (2021), and half a dozen other projects that are currently in development. Woods’ TGR Design team includes longtime friend and business associate Bryon Bell, who serves as the company’s president, and former Tom Fazio design associate Beau Welling, who is TGR’s senior design associate. El Cardonal sits on a broad landscape dotted by cacti, palo verde trees and scrubby desert flora. The land drops 240 feet along the mile-long stretch from the 17th tee to the third fairway. This 225-acre parcel in the foothills of the Baja California desert features a steady 4% grade. The terrain will prove demanding for both players and caddies, to say nothing of spectators. But the views out onto the Pacific Ocean make the trek worthwhile, as do the shotmaking demands alongside, and occasionally over, the sandy arroyos that line El Cardonal’s holes. The encroaching desert arroyos are El Cardonal’s main obstacle. The course features 97 acres of Platinum paspalum grass cut to fairway height (three-eighths of an inch), and the turf usually plays firm and fast because the area only receives 6 inches of rain per year. The wind often howls here, usually blowing out of the north but sometimes flipping entirely and coming in off the ocean. Such reversals can confront players with dramatically different challenges from day to day. The course’s corridors are wide, with the rustic sand traps often scattered in the middle of the ideal landing areas. Players have plenty of room to navigate their way around, or over, the hazards, and the short grass gives players an abundance of options around the greens. The north-south direction of the arroyos – the steep-sided gullies formed by fast-flowing water – is entirely a function of the native topography. They run in the direction the water flows. With the course primarily serving as a resort layout, the design team decided to build the majority of holes on a north-south axis to prevent forced carries across those arroyos, which in many cases are 100 yards or longer. This enhances playability for everyday golfers. This was not a construction job that entailed massive regrading of the land. The course’s lower holes (Nos. 1-5), which run through sandy dunes, were raised slightly to broaden the features and establish ocean views over the dunes. The uphill holes were generally tweaked in the approach areas to provide visibility into the targets. This downhill, downwind par 3 leads to a spacious green situated in a depression encircled by dunes. The contours around the punchbowl-style green can guide balls onto the putting surface. However, given the green's generous size, pin placement will determine the length of the birdie putt. A menacing bunker looks closer to the green than it is and protects any center-cut pins. The first par 4 on the front nine is short, downwind and may be within reach for longer hitters. Those aiming to drive the green must carry a deep bunker on the right side of the fairway. A successful carry rewards with a kick toward the green. Multiple lay-up options exist off the tee, but the best line is to the left of the middle fairway bunker. From this vantage point, the entire green comes into view. Playing in the opposite direction of the third hole, this lengthy par 4 challenges golfers into a prevailing wind. A tee shot favoring the right side of the fairway provides the shortest approach to an elevated green guarded by a bunker on the right. The subtly contoured green offers opportunities for up-and-down recoveries for those who miss their targets. After a change in direction, playing with the prevailing wind introduces a new challenge: a desert arroyo. Carrying the right fairway bunkers near the arroyo yields an open approach to the green. Shots aimed left must carry a bunker short of the green. The sandy arroyo protects the green's right side and an elevated pin area at the back demands a precise and bold approach. Ascending from the dunes, this lengthy par 5 requires a strategic approach due to the wide "M" shaped green protected by a large central bunker. Optimal angles for pin placements on the right side of the green are best approached from the right side of the second landing area, which in turn is accessed from the left side of the first landing area and vice versa for left pin placements. A large crowned area in the middle of the fairway adds to the challenge off the tee. This downhill, lengthy par 4 offers expansive views of the Pacific Ocean. A tee shot carrying the left fairway bunker sets up an unobstructed approach to the green. Shots veering too far right contend with a bunker short of the green. A generous feeder slope short of the green aids in propelling balls onto the putting surface, while low chipping areas protect both flanks of the contoured green. A sandy arroyo splits the tee, landing area and green, shaping the strategic element of this hole. The "T"-shaped green features challenging pin positions, with bunkering on the back left, back right and narrow front sections. Favoring the right side of the fairway near the arroyo provides a better angle for attacking back-left pins, while targeting the left fairway bunker sets up an approach to back-right pins. Playing into the prevailing wind, this par 3 demands accuracy due to the sandy arroyo between the tee and green. The left side of the green is protected by a bunker, while the right side is open and inviting. The narrow back-left portion requires a precise and assertive shot. The first hole on the back nine is a short par 4 offering strategic options off the tee. Aggressive players can attempt to drive closer to the green, navigating between fairway bunkers. A wiser approach might be to challenge the left-to-right wind, laying up to the left side of the fairway for a better angle to the green. The wishbone-shaped green is guarded by a deep bunker in the center, adding to the challenge. This mid-length par 3 plays slightly downhill. Golfers can choose to carry the green or use the feeder slope for an approach shot played short. Accurate yardage control is crucial, as missing the green long and right may result in a challenging recovery from a deep pot bunker. Subtle undulations on the green pose challenges for putting. An aggressive tee shot carrying the left fairway bunker can result in a favorable kick down the hill. Shots to the right side of the fairway leave a longer approach. Accuracy is key on the short approach, where the prevailing wind and challenging left-to-right elements come into play. The small, elevated green features strong slopes on the front and right, while the wind can carry stray approach shots into the low collection area on the right. The tee shot on this hole must clear a substantial sandy arroyo. Opting for a more aggressive line to the right side of the fairway yields the best angle for approaching the right-to-left green. Shots to the left must contend with a bunker guarding the green's left side. The sandy arroyo extends along the entire right side, offering opportunities for daring recovery shots. This dogleg-left par 4 plays uphill, with bunkers framing the left side of the tee shot. A deceptive wide landing area lies beyond the bunkers. Approach shots near a large "Cardon" cactus to the short right of the green can use the feeder bounce for better placement. The green's distinct undulations create various pin placement sections, adding complexity to putting. As the shortest par 3 on the course, this hole introduces drama near the round's end. Golfers face an "all or nothing" carry to a green nestled at the confluence of two arroyo canyons. With three distinct levels, navigating the green requires precision from a short iron shot. From the course's highest point, the tee shot offers a panoramic view of Diamante and the Pacific Ocean. The split landing area, with an upper right and lower left side, presents strategic choices. The elevated right side provides a better approach angle, but the prevailing crosswind poses a challenge. Shots from the left side must traverse the narrow dimensions of the right-to-left green, which extends into the arroyo guarding the 16th green. The final hole invites an aggressive tee shot, playing downhill more than 60 feet from tee to green. Longer hitters can aim to carry cross bunkers near the second landing area, setting up a chance to advance closer to the green. A successful carry will result in a favorable kick forward. The lengthy, narrow green is surrounded by deep low areas and a bunker left. The prevailing right-to-left wind adds complexity to high wedge approach shots. Championship golf at El Cardonal involves a 7,363-yard, par-72 layout with a 75.9 rating and 140 slope. The back tees provide completely different angles than what the resort player faces. The fairways are wide and the greens are enormous, averaging 8,300 square feet (23% larger than the greens at Marco Simone G&CC, which hosted last year’s Ryder Cup). There is a lot of room out there. On most holes, the longer sets of tees are more closely aligned to the arroyos. That allows the natural geography to enter the mind as a hazard. Smart, skilled players like those on the PGA TOUR are not likely to be fooled, though; they know that most of their tee shots will be played on a line away from that hazard and they’ll have plenty of room to work the ball. Most of the greens are canted diagonally, offering a wide variety of hole locations and the opportunity to set up back flags that bring the arroyos closer into play for even slightly wayward approach shots. In a 72-hole, stroke-play format, every hole is key. However, some of the holes at El Cardonal are more revealing of the terrain and character of the site. Among them is the 438-yard fifth, which features a green suspended along the edge of an arroyo and a fall-off on the right that runs the length of the hole. This is one of the few holes at El Cardonal that is not laid out on the north-south axis. It runs partially downhill, from northwest to southeast. Its alignment presents the challenge of wind prevailing from the left (north) and pushing everything towards the ravine. The ideal shot shape here is right-to-left, into the slope. Anything drifting right that is marginally overcooked brings into play that looming arroyo. The 474-yard eighth hole is the longest of the two-shot holes here, thanks to a 50-foot ascent from tee to green, and into the prevailing wind. Most players will face an approach shot of 180-200 yards. The green, bunkered left and right in front, sits 70 yards beyond a cactus-strewn ravine that crosses in front. The visual impact of the approach shot is daunting and will make this, in all likelihood, the hardest hole on the course. The par-5 14th, which measures 554 yards, offers the rare alternate fairway that requires a meaningful choice on the second shot. No hole at El Cardonal climbs more ground. The hole climbs 80 feet from tee to green. With the hole doglegging right-to-left and the tee set right alongside the arroyo, a bold carry across the inside of the turn is needed to get in the proper position for a second shot to the putting surface. Otherwise, it’s a layup, with the choice right side offering a dead-end cove of fairway. Players who choose the left fairway have to cross the arroyo again but are rewarded with a much more favorable angle in. With the green canted diagonally from seven o’clock to two o’clock, the seemingly safer second shot to the right leaves a much tougher angle across the narrow waistline of the green. Diamante sits on the southernmost tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, which has become a major destination in the world of golf. Having a desert climate cooled by persistent winds and exposure along two shorelines, the Gulf of California to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west is a recipe for an idyllic setting. The metro area, including the nearby cities of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, is home to 400,000 residents. Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) gives the world access to the strongest concentration of quality golf in Mexico – and arguably in the entire region between the U.S. and South America. The offerings are impressive. Among the 18 courses in the area are such standouts as Love’s Dunes Couse at Diamante, Cabo Real by Robert Trent Jones Jr., Chileno Bay and Querencia by Tom Fazio, and four courses by Jack Nicklaus: Cabo del Sol’s Cove Club, El Dorado Golf & Beach Club, Palmilla Golf Club and Quivira Golf Club. A view of the 11th hole at El Cardonal at Diamante a Tiger Woods-designed course in Cabo San Lucas It’s rare for a player who isn’t in the field to get headline billing at a PGA Tour event. But, like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus before him, Tiger Woods is a legend who has gotten into the golf architecture business a Tour event is taking place on one of his courses On Tuesday, Woods was on the grounds of El Cardonal at Diamante site of the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship But let’s shift the focus from Woods to his work With the tournament set to begin on Thursday here are 11 things to know about El Cardonal It’s the first course Tiger finished Woods had other projects in the works before he and his team broke ground in Cabo. But El Cardonal was the first to welcome play with Tiger himself striking a ceremonial opening tee shot at the ribbon cutting in 2014 to guests of the on-site Hard Rock and Nobu hotels which set aside limited tee times for resort play The name was inspired by Tiger’s alma mater where Woods competed as a Cardinal for two years winning a school record-tying 11 tournaments Woods had in mind his pro-am partners more than he did his peers He didn’t want it to be overly penal with lots of wiggle room off the tee — let’s just say it won’t be Oakmont The bunkering draws on Tiger’s California roots paw-print bunkering at El Cardonal was influenced by courses Woods knows well most notably the George Thomas designs at Riviera and Stanford University The firm turf and ground-game options have roots in Tiger’s fondness for Australian Sandbelt golf There’s good potential for late-stage pyrotechnics downhill par-5 that is gettable in two for every player in the field Don’t be surprised if the winner is decided when a final eagle lands.  It’s part of a larger golf development El Cardonal is the second course at Diamante which first caught the attention of architecture buffs in 2009 with the opening of the highly regarded Dunes Course the Dunes winds through a sandy coastal landscape; El Cardonal sits farther inland There’s not much that you can’t find here in the way of Woods and Nike-themed merch The pros won’t be downing margaritas at the turn El Cardonal serves first-rate tacos and tequila cocktails El Cardonal is slated to host this event for the next five years work continues on Woods’ second project at Diamante: The Legacy a private club with an invitation-only membership that has already drawn comparisons to Shadow Creek in Las Vegas It is scheduled to open in the fall of 2024 Josh Sens has been a GOLF Magazine contributor since 2004 and now contributes across all of GOLF’s platforms His work has been anthologized in The Best American Sportswriting of Are We Having Any Fun Yet: the Cooking and Partying Handbook When you write a Golf Advisor course review now through December 31 your review will be entered into Golf Advisor’s Rate to Escape: Maui Sweepstakes for a chance to win a five-star trip to Maui One Grand Prize winner and guest will travel in an AVIS rental car for six nights/ seven days of accommodations with the latest gear from OGIO to play on the finest fairways in Maui We’re also giving away 12 Golf Advisor Swag bags to lucky reviewers One milestone golf course architects will always remember is the opening of their first design get the thrill of experiencing a significant professional event held on one of their designs Some doubts will probably be bouncing around in their heads What will be the reaction of the fans on site How will it present to the TV audience at home A strong field has decided to tee it up in arguably Mexico's top tourist destination on the Baja Peninsula led by former major champions Stewart Cink The tournament will be broadcast on Golf Channel Nov but it still features panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean from nearly every hole multi-armed cactus that thrives in this natural environment of the desert El Cardonal is a 7,363-yard par-72 layout set upon higher ground than the Dunes It weaves through dune-framed fairways on the front nine and over desert arroyos on the back Woods used the classic courses he grew up playing in Southern California as his template flashed-faced bunkers probably won't scare the pros much Their shaping and contours give off the impression that they're closer to greens than they appear Green surrounds range from forgiving to foreboding Watch for pin placements on the par-3 second hole that allow players to take advantage of a backstop A steep dropoff to the left of the 14th green isn't as friendly Players can be as aggressive as they want to be on the short par 4s at No Diamante is one of the best golf resort communities in Cabo El Cardonal features its own sprawling clubhouse golf academy and signature comfort stations a short course by TGR Design; the Dunes Putting Course and a second Woods course under construction add to an incredible array of amenities for golfers this would be one to consider planning an entire fall golf trip around A fan village will host a 'Taste of Cabo' experience where some of the best local restaurants will serve their signature menu items Fall can bring hurricanes - the most devastating Pacific-based hurricane in the country's history struck Acapulco up the coast just last week “We are honored and excited by the opportunity to showcase to the world what a great golf destination the region of Los Cabos has become,” said Ken Jowdy CEO of Legacy Properties and developer of Diamante “Hosting the World Wide Technology Championship will have an incredible impact on Los Cabos and bring unmatched exposure to our region." CABO SAN LUCAS — "We're in the Tiger business," they like to say at Diamante Cabo San Lucas Diamante, the luxury golf destination on the southern tip of Baja California Sur in Mexico has three courses with a fourth under construction and it was the first course designed by Tiger Woods with Tiger hitting the ceremonial first tee shot He also did the 9-hole short course called the Oasis a high-end luxury private course that'll rival Shadow Creek in Las Vegas Tiger is also opening a second restaurant at Diamante 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 The clubhouse at El Cardonal is dominated by Tiger's signature red and black colors El Cardonal, a Tiger Woods-designed course in Mexico will be the site of the World Wide Technology Championship this fall The PGA Tour's agreement with Mayakoba, which was designed by LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman Mayakoba hosted LIV Golf's 2023 season-opener in February El Cardonal is located at Diamante Cabo San Lucas in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur It opened in 2014 and is the first golf course designed by Woods The date of the 2023 event has not been decided The World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba made golf history in 2007 when it became the first PGA Tour event to be contested outside of the United States or Canada The event at El Cardonal will be held this autumn and feature 132 golfers competing for 500 FedExCup points on a par-72 7,300-yard layout that was influenced by the Southern California courses Woods grew up playing After the PGA Tour's season-ending playoffs the autumn events finalize the top 125 eligibility for the next FedExCup season that begins in January Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report Mexico — The PGA Tour's first visit to the southernmost tip of the Baja Peninsula coincidentally coincides with the Day of the Dead the celebration of the transitory return of the souls of the departed believed to be returning home to spend time with their families Add to that list arguably my favorite Tour tournament T-shirt of the year (see below) there's already been such a run on this short that all that remained were some size extra small and the merchandise manager shared this information with a rueful expression The World Wide Technology Championship merchandise is being sold in the pro shop at Diamante this week which is typically stocked with Nike gear — Tiger designed the El Cardonal layout But this week there's a nice mix with brands such as Levelwear Bad Birdie and FootJoy also being part of the mix in part because they built a temporary wall and carved out space for the player locker room but it's less is more philosophy works —as long as it doesn't run out on Wednesday of the gear everyone is clamoring for Here's a look at some of the other items that fans will be rocking in their wardrobe and souvenir keepsakes of the inaugural Tour event in Cabo The site of this week's World Wide Technology Championship is El Cardonal at Diamante This week’s destination is a first for the PGA Tour The site of this week’s World Wide Technology Championship is El Cardonal at Diamante, a Tiger Woods design in Cabo San Lucas it’s the first completed course in Woods’ TGR Design firm’s portfolio It’s a par 72 and stretches to an unofficial 7,452 yards The fairways are forgiving — the average fairway width in the landing areas is 60 yards — so players can let loose off the tee and there’s plenty of strategic options playing into greens Inside the Resort at Diamante: Top 100 Golf Resorts in the World “I set up the golf strategy to make golfers think and make choices,” Woods said on the course website there are going to be different ways to play every hole Diamante also has a Woods-designed 12-hole par-3 course called The Oasis Short Course that opened in 2016 For more on Diamante, a private real estate development that is also open to guests, click here And to familiarize yourself with El Cardonal As GOLF.com’s managing editor, Berhow handles the day-to-day and long-term planning of one of the sport’s most-read news and service websites. He spends most of his days writing planning and wondering if he’ll ever break 80 he worked at newspapers in Minnesota and Iowa A graduate of Minnesota State University in Mankato he resides in the Twin Cities with his wife and two kids You can reach him at joshua_berhow@golf.com El Cardonal at Diamante hosted the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship in Los Cabos It's the first golf course designed by Tiger Woods El Cardonal ranks 26th on the Golfweek’s Best 2023: Top 50 courses in Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands and Central America list It’s one of 11 courses in Cabo on the list WWT Championship: Tiger Woods merch photos Here's a look at some of the best photos from the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship, which was won by Erik van Rooyen after a birdie-birdie-eagle finish Sunday Mexico — Venture about 20 minutes west of the hubbub of the pier and downtown Cabo towards the Pacific Ocean and you'll find the bustling Diamante Cabo San Lucas hunkered down near the coast of the Pacific Ocean on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula the first golf course designed by Tiger Woods set to be an ultra-private experience for the membership long look at El Cardonal in November when it hosts the PGA Tour's World Wide Technology Championship Take a look at some of the best photos of the golf at Diamante Cabo San Lucas Tiger Woods made an appearance at his El Cardonal course ahead of the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship For the very first time, a PGA Tour event will be held at a Tiger Woods-designed golf course this week Woods was spotted at the course taking in the sights as his fellow pros played practice rounds This year the tournament in question, the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship, moved to El Cardonal at Diamante in Cabo San Lucas which happens to be the first course that Woods’ TGR design team completed back in 2014 The course was named in honor of Woods’ alma mater Stanford University Woods was spotted riding around in a golf cart at the event surveying the course and watching a few shots The 15-time major champion isn’t in the field Tiger spotting in Mexico 👀The El Cardonal course designer was out scouting the course.@TigerWoods | @WWTChampionship pic.twitter.com/HYkClNjFTv The course is a beautiful design with rumpled fairways and ocean views on most holes Woods designed it with the overarching goal of making a course that all types of players would find fun and challenging The big question is how the course will hold up under tournament conditions with some of the best golfers in the world picking it apart A few of those pros shared their first impressions during pre-tournament press conferences on Tuesday PGA Tour winner Keith Mitchell admitted it was the “first Tiger Woods golf course that I’ve ever played,” before providing a detailed assessment of the challenges El Cardonal presents “There’s a couple holes that have a lot of risk-reward,” Mitchell said the back of the greens are serious trouble so you’ve got — if you have a good number you can maybe hit it to the back flag and get a chance for eagle you’ve got to play conservative and try to get up and down from the front of the green When asked if he could give the course a grade Mitchell demurred given that he’d only played nine holes so far But he did reveal that it was already clear that having “a lot of options” was a key design tenet for Tiger’s team “I know Tiger likes options,” Mitchell said “It gives you a lot to think about going into greens whether if you want to use the slope or go straight at the hole whether you want to play conservative and have an easy up-and-down or try to push it to the back of a green or to a tough flag and try to make birdie Maverick McNealy who is making his PGA Tour return this week after missing significant time to injury shared similar thoughts after playing El Cardonal for the first time “You kind of see a lot of parallels between the way Tiger plays golf and the way he designed this golf course,” McNealy said Quintessential second-shot golf course and no short-siding.” will be the key to contending at Tiger’s course “My first impressions is that it’s not very tight off the tee You don’t need to murder the ball,” McNealy said And then you really have to think about where you leave the ball into the greens There’s one side that’s obviously not OK.” but we won’t truly know how well Tiger’s course works as a PGA Tour host until the first shots are hit this Thursday as Mitchell hit on in his press conference “We all know we can judge [Tiger] on his golf the best if not the best ever to play golf So we’re going to see if his golf course architecture can hold up as well.” As for when Tiger will make his own return to the PGA Tour though many people are predicting Woods will choose to lace up his spikes for real at either the PNC Championship or his Hero World Challenge event in December El Cardonal at Diamante generated plenty of differing comment from a number of PGA Tour professionals after the recent World Wide Technology Championship The Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal at Diamante may have played host to an extraordinary week of golf on the PGA Tour but some professionals among the World Wide Technology Championship field were still struggling to pay the course many compliments on their journey home South African Erik van Rooyen claimed an emotional victory in Cabo San Lucas Mexico after blasting a final round of 63 to claim the title on a stunning 29-under par In a week where scoring was considerably lower than a regular PGA Tour event across the board van Rooyen was one of nine players to finish the tournament at -20 or better And while the eventual champion recorded a superb nine-under on Sunday Andrew Putnam - who finished in a tie for fifth - went one better as one of two players to card a 10-under round on the final day along with Austin Cook On his X account - formerly Twitter - Putnam revealed that the scoring was so comfortable he was not stopped for a single question by the media despite an extraordinary effort He said: "You know the course is easy when you shoot -10 to be top 5 and you don’t get 1 question from the media when you leave scoring Straight to packing your bags up and leaving the course thanks Mexico for a fun vacation week of golf The American finished the tournament in 71st on eight-under - 21 shots behind winner van Rooyen - after only managing to card one round in the 60s Kraft's updated Instagram post read: "Best part about this week was having my family here and watching the @rangers win the World Series! A post shared by Kelly Kraft (@kellykraftgolf) Although he ended the week in a tie for 38th the Belgian found trouble near the end of his first round when his tee shot into the middle of the par-3 16th rolled off the front edge of the green and into a steep native area below The 30-year-old watched his ball just fail to find the top shelf before dribbling backwards and over the collar of rough that protected the putting area Some fans criticised the course's design as the main contributing factor to the seemingly harsh penalty while others claimed the set-up was wrong and ultimately cost Detry a shot Scores may be low, but Tiger’s design is not messing around this week. Just ask @tomdetry pic.twitter.com/tXr35De9DSNovember 2, 2023 Woods said of his set-up choice: "This course is going to remind people of the old-style California courses We will use the existing arroyos that traverse the site and well-placed bunkers to create definite strategic choices and carries off the tees.  "I set up the golf strategy to make golfers think and make choices Michael Kim - who ultimately finished in a tie for 23rd - shared a highly-detailed and balanced pre-tournament view on the layout last Wednesday The 2018 John Deere Classic winner felt Woods had designed a course which "fit his own game" something "famous players" often do when turning their hand to design Kim also labelled the fairways at El Cardonal as "generous to say the least," going on to say they "could be some of the widest fairways on tour if not the widest." The 30-year-old also called the greens "pretty wild" with "LOTS of back stops," although he did mention there was a mix of different shapes to the putting surfaces Before stating scoring would be "pretty low" ahead of the event beginning Kim said the course is quite long but contains "almost no rough to speak of" and "would be very interesting if it got windy" - something that did not occur He graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2017 and spent almost five years as the sole sports reporter at his local newspaper Jonny has interviewed several stars of the game Jonny enjoys learning as much about the game as he can and recently reached his Handicap goal of 18 for the first time He attended both the 150th and 151st Open Championships and dreams of attending The Masters one day Six strokes ahead at 24 under with three holes left on a breezy cloudy afternoon on the tip of Baja California Kuchar pulled his drive on 15 left into dense bushes and made a quadruple-bogey 8 limiting the damage with a 12-foot bogey putt Kuchar closed with two pars—with his birdie try on the par-5 18th hitting the cup—for a 5-under 67 Playing alongside Kuchar in the final group Villegas finished birdie-birdie-bogey-birdie for a 69 to join Kuchar at 19 under The 45-year-old Kuchar won the tournament in 2018 at Mayakoba he won the Sony Open in Hawaii for the last of his nine PGA Tour titles After opening with consecutive 65s on Thursday and Friday in calm conditions Kuchar eagled the par-5 first on Saturday and had six birdies and a bogey in a front-nine 29 12-14 to get to 10 under for the round and 24 under overall before the meltdown is fighting to gain his full PGA Tour card The 41-year-old Colombian split time between the Korn Ferry Tour and whatever PGA Tour events he could get in this year 223 in the FedEx Cup with only three tournaments left The top 125 have full cards for 2024; the top 150 at least have conditional status Will Gordon (67) and Justin Suh (68) were 17 under ASSOCIATED PRESS Opened in 2014, El Cardonal is the first golf course designed by 82-time PGA TOUR winner Tiger Woods and TGR Design. “We are excited to build on our partnership with World Wide Technology as we continue to develop the growth of our sport in Mexico and across Latin America,” said Tyler Dennis, PGA TOUR EVP and President. “The support of World Wide Technology, coupled with a championship golf course, will ensure that the PGA TOUR’s fall schedule will continue to deliver moments of drama and consequence.” The World Wide Technology Championship will feature 132 players competing for 500 FedExCup points. Following the FedExCup Playoffs, which conclude in August at the TOUR Championship, the fall events will finalize the top-125 eligibility for the next FedExCup season, which begins in January. Influenced by the Southern California courses Woods grew up playing, the par-72, 7,300-yard layout features dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean and provides players with several shot options to navigate on each hole. Diamante is a private resort nestled along the coastline of Los Cabos, a municipality at the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula in the state of Baja California Sur. In addition to El Cardonal, Diamante also features the Dunes Course, designed by Davis Love III, as well as the TGR-designed Oasis Short Course, a 12-hole, par-3 course. “We are honored and excited by the opportunity to showcase to the world what a great golf destination the region of Los Cabos has become,” said Ken Jowdy, CEO of Legacy Properties and developer of Diamante. “Hosting the World Wide Technology Championship will have an incredible impact on Los Cabos and bring unmatched exposure to our region. We are thankful to WWT and the PGA TOUR for bringing this world-class event to Diamante.” The World Wide Technology Championship is one of two FedExCup events in Mexico, along with the Mexico Open at Vidanta. The PGA TOUR has visited the country every year since 2007, the first time it held a full-field event outside the United States or Canada. All four rounds of the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship will be carried live on Golf Channel in the United States and Latin America, including Mexico. Additional information on the remainder of the fall schedule will be announced when available. That might be the word used to describe your drive on the downhill – and downwind if you’re lucky – par-5 16th hole at Cove Club that races from the tee box toward the Sea of Cortez Booming is also the best word to describe the sheer growth of the game of golf on the tip of the Baja California peninsula “the two capes,” is the area book-ended by the twin cities of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo neighboring towns situated at opposite ends of a 20-mile corridor This Mexican golf mecca has only been a golf destination for about 30 years But what’s there now combined with what’s coming guarantees this hotspot will remain a popular locale for years to come a trend that continued the first part of 2023 and several new golf courses are either planned or under construction Cabo had but one course in 1987 and there’s 18 now Almost all are top-shelf venues catering to those looking at golf as a complement to an upscale resort lifestyle It’s almost a chicken-or-the-egg discussion: Are golfers flocking to Cabo because of the array of great courses Or are great courses continuing to sprout up as people seek a home-away-from-home destination with a country club lifestyle replete with all the modern amenities That’s most likely a question you’ll have to answer for yourself you may want to leave your departure date open-ended It’s not uncommon for a six-day Cabo trip to become nine days You’ll see what we mean when you get there Arrival into the Los Cabos International Airport in San Jose del Cabo on a recent trip for this Golfweek staffer was a breeze The direct flight from Phoenix was a little more than two hours where dozens of vacationers waited for their turn to get whisked away music was blaring and bartenders were pouring Photos: Tiger Woods, Davis Love III golf courses at Diamante Cabo San Lucas After finding a ride, a white Chevy Tahoe with dark-tinted windows, a tall, cold slender can of Pacifico beer became the refreshment of choice. The first stop: Diamante Cabo San Lucas made a good call taking the Los Cabos Toll Road which cuts across the desert a few miles north of the corridor The toll is fairly new and makes for a quicker route to the ever-growing Pacific Ocean side of the cape is the heart of the action with restaurants This nightlife hotspot is on the agenda but reaching home base for the first part of this trip is the task at hand bringing in the cool desert air and providing an amazing view to the west The ninth green of the Davis Love III-designed Dunes course was just to the right off the patio its stunning blue water contrasted against the desert terrain the second of what will soon be three 18-hole championship courses Better known as the first golf course designed by Tiger Woods El Cardonal will get its proper introduction to the world in November when it joins the roster of PGA Tour stops as host of the World Wide Technology Championship Like in so many other aspects of their golfing lives Tiger is following in the footsteps of Jack Nicklaus The two legendary golfers are linked again here on the peninsula Los Cabos was once a sleepy fishing community It’s also long been a renowned scuba and whale-watching spot Situated about 1,000 miles south of San Diego the area is Instagram-famous for El Arco de Cabo San Lucas the stunning natural arch that dips into the water a must-have photo opp for all visitors to the area Cabo is now just as well-known for its golf but it’s a bit stunning to realize that just a generation ago Vidanta Golf Los Cabos was built by the government and is still in operation It would be another five years until the next one came online was Jack Nicklaus’ introduction to the area and signaled the beginnings of a subtropical golf destination “There was nothing here,” said Brian McCallen He handled golf public relations for the Los Cabos Tourism Board for eight years he was the travel editor for Golf magazine for 16 years It was the second course Nicklaus built in Cabo that really got the ball rolling. Originally called the Ocean Course at Cabo Del Sol, Cove Club is now a private golf and beach club It transitioned into a private residence club after operating as a public/resort facility for 25 years Nicklaus once said it was “the best golf property I’ve seen.” I call him the Golden Amigo,” said McCallen he's the guy that really put this place on the map.” Photos: Check out the golf courses at Cabo Del Sol in Cabo San Lucas The Ocean course eventually earned its accolades but there was a time when the idea of flying to Cabo for golf only raised some eyebrows you gotta come down to Mexico and see this Jack Nicklaus course,” McCallen recalled telling his fellow golf course rating panelists at Golf magazine “They said ‘We’re not going to Mexico to play golf if you don't think it's the best course you’ve seen After convincing some golfers to make the trek “That was the course that established Los Cabos as a primo international golf destination.” you need to have primo amenities and Cove Club offers exactly that with the original 17th and 18th holes removed to make room for the Cabo Del Sol Beach Club The 17th was a par 3 that played up the coast but as it turns out the land along that hole was more ideal as a sandy beach area The 17th green is now a negative-edge pool and the Beach Club has a fantastic outdoor restaurant and bar It just made too much sense to maximize the land all three of the closing holes are what’s going to make your round here memorable You start that closing stretch at one of the highest points at Cove Club at the 16th tee box and make your way toward the ocean make sure you pull into the comfort stations for a quick break maybe even a shot of Casamigos or Codigo tequila Cove Club Golf Course is tied for 12th on Golfweek's Best 2023: Top 50 courses in Mexico One trip around this place will make you a believer Called the Desert Course when it opened in 2001 it ranks 42nd on the Golfweek list and it’s no slouch the golf is farther away from the ocean but there are views of the deep blue water on most of the holes Currently under a months-long renovation by the team of Dana Fry and Jason Straka the Desert course is a great complement to Jack’s course down the hill Pacific viewsOn the western edge of Los Cabos with the vast Pacific Ocean dominating the views in the distance a great breakfast spot for coffee and smoothies Even a private yacht providing members sunset cruises two nights a week features two 18-hole championship courses: the Dunes by Davis Love III and Tiger’s El Cardonal a 12-hole short course that loops around a lake A 15-hole putting course is mere steps from the clubhouse providing a different challenge from just 24 hours prior an ultra-private course and also a Tiger Woods design As people around Diamante like to say: “We’re in the Tiger Woods business.” Woods’ Legacy will take things next level and further entrench his influence at Diamante The Legacy will be the eventual home of the World Wide Technology Championship It’ll also perhaps be the most visually stunning golf course at Diamante with Shadow Creek in Las Vegas likely to have heavy influence on the design While Davis Love III’s Dunes course and Tiger’s El Cardonal layout ebb and flow with the terrain the Legacy is proving to be a major engineering feat "We’re full-blown construction right now on the third course. We probably moved 200,000 cubic meters of dirt for the first course. We probably moved 350,000 on El Cardonal and we’ll probably move 3 million on the club," CEO and Founder of Diamante Cabo San Lucas Ken Jowdy said "The timeline is based on how fast we can move the dirt We have six holes nearly shaped and hoping to have them grassed in the next six months Next year we won’t be playing the golf course but in my perfect world we’ll be there in 2025." There will be dozens of different species of plants and trees used in the landscaping creeks and waterfalls meandering throughout golfers will probably forget they’re even in the desert Membership will be exclusive and will be capped at 250 Homesites on the Legacy are extremely limited Diamante founder and CEO Ken Jowdy has one of them Where the Legacy course ultimately lands in the rankings is TBD but it’ll have some competition right there at Diamante 3 on the 2023 Golfweek's Best courses 2023: Mexico Atlantic islands and Central America list; El Cardonal checks in at No Simply called the “Tiger course” by most at Diamante Tiger was there to hit the ceremonial first tee shot and his ball ended up in a fairway bunker down the right side His name graces numerous plaques commemorating famous shots he hit around the world and there’s a plaque here but a historical first nonetheless: the first shot Tiger hit on his first course “I’m very excited about the opening of El Cardonal,” Woods said in December of 2014 “This is a culmination of a dream for me and my team I’ve always wanted to be involved in golf course design.” The second course built at Diamante was the first one on the docket on this trip allowing golfers to ease into their rounds a par 4 that can play as long as 483 yards adding to the challenge of finding the putting surface in two You may consider two extra clubs for this approach shot The first comfort station is located just beyond the fifth hole but the pre-golf smoothies were doing their jobs so it was on to the sixth The short par-3 ninth takes you right back to the clubhouse and while it still wasn’t quite time for lunch it was indeed time for a snack: egg and bacon tacos setting the stage for many of the back-nine holes which are similar to the saguaro cactus that dot the landscape across Arizona Anyone who’s played desert golf in the Grand Canyon state knows the saguaro El Cardonal is not a play on the Cardinal mascot of Stanford The name is paying homage to this majestic desert plant The key hole on the back nine is likely the 15th with its severe right-to-left sloping green The prevailing wind is right to left as well so a sharp mid-iron will be required to find the proper part of the putting surface rest easy because the second of two comfort stations awaits This one has a thatched-roof cabana and what you can’t miss is a white donkey statue wearing a colorful Mexican blanket The 16th is an interesting par 3 with a huge three-tiered green Steep slopes into gnarly desert scrub await on all sides with the location of the pin and hint of wind likely to lead you to rethink your club selection Imagine the smell of fresh-baked bread as you near the finish of your round The 17th tee box is near the main entrance to Diamante and you get big sweeping views of the entire place with the Pacific off in the distance If you’re wondering about all the green grass on these courses here technology and gravity team up to deliver water to the Platinum paspalum turf Diamante’s desalination plant – a requirement for the newer developments – first pulls the salt out of the ocean water Pumps then bring that water to the highest elevation on the property at the 17th tee box where a gravity-fed system feeds desalinated water across the land which could make for exciting bookend scoring holes for the PGA Tour pros they’ll soon be able to walk off Tiger’s course and into Tiger’s restaurant The Woods Cabo will be the second in The Woods brand to come online The Woods Cabo will likely be a hot spot for the area and you won’t have to be a member of Diamante to enjoy it The restaurant features a stunning four-sided marble bar that dominates the room There are about 30 big screen TVs in the venue and large high-backed round booths offering privacy Large windows along three walls offer views of the course and the ocean Diamante hired Larbi Dahrouch as head chef and he’s joined by sushi chef Jesus Humberto Villalobos Aviles whose team will prepare sushi on a daily basis A key feature of The Woods Cabo will be the large butcher counter where members can hand-pick steaks to take home and grill for themselves The landscape and climate of Los Cabos is unique where the desert meets the mountains and together they run downhill into the ocean you can be poking around the desert scrub looking for a Pro V1 and then 20 minutes later have your toes dipping in the water there are two bodies of water that meet at the marina in the town of Cabo San Lucas with the massive Pacific Ocean is to the west another popular Mexican beach town that’s an easy drive from various spots in the American southwest citizens visiting Cabo are coming from the western states Direct flights –  from Phoenix (two hours away) Los Angeles and San Diego (about the same) But more East Coast cities are coming online with directs you can fly direct from Spain and soon London There’s already talk of a second Cabo airport another indication of this fast-growing area There are 11 golf courses in Cabo on Golfweek's Best courses 2023: Mexico Considering there are 18 courses in all of Cabo The best of the lot is the Dunes course at Diamante Designed by Davis Love III and opened in 2009 created after thousands of years of wind whipping through the area Playing the Dunes on our second day of golf at Diamante had us paired with a couple of members who were keen on pointing out the tamales Their recommendation: Get one red and one green and wash them down with a cold Pacifico The flow of your round at Diamante is perfect as you’re not rushed playing your next shot nor are you quickly eating those delicious tamales You will probably need one or maybe two clubs more than you think here because of the elevated green Don’t miss left or you’ll be neck-deep in a bunker Your reward for reaching the green is more than the chance to use the flatstick; it’s the views From this lofty perch you can see the ocean waves crashing – and they often do crash your swing commitment here is going to be key 358 yards from the more reasonable tee box It’s a blind tee shot with more room to the left than you might think An odd obelisk in the fairway does give you a sense of direction but it still feels like a hit-and-hope kinda shot One of the members pounded his drive here and thanks to a healthy wind at our backs found that his tee shot came to rest on the green before settling for a two-putt birdie but if it’s windy it kicks things up a notch The course was recently reworked and the original 18th hole is gone but the current 18th hole will get your attention your approach to the green needs to get up up in the air because of a severely elevated putting surface Get home in two here and you’re going to feel good about how your round ended there will be no rounds played at El Cardonal The course closed July 15 for home-stretch preparation for the PGA Tour and all the necessary infrastructure that hosting requires a staple on the PGA Tour’s fall schedule since 2007 was previously held on a different Mexican coast at El Camaleon Golf Club south of Cancun in Riviera Maya But Mayakoba flipped to the LIV Golf League and created an opportunity for Diamante Joe Mazzeo was the tournament director at Mayakoba and has moved to Cabo to stay on in that role His full team joined him in August in the walk-up to the tournament Diamante generally closes for about a week in September anyway as the Cabo area gets 90 percent of its annual rainfall in that month and that’s a good time to get some “rehab” work done This extended closure of El Cardonal started July 15 with a scheduled reopen date of Monday The eyes of the golf world will be trained on the cape We’ll just have to wait on that 16th hole bakery Cove Club director of instruction Carly Schneider frequently plays the two courses at Cabo Del Sol often with students but many times with members A former college golfer who was later a coach at Loyola University in her hometown of Chicago Schneider grew up "on my grandfather's golf course that he built.” She was first drawn to Cabo She found a magnetism to this subtropical locale through his images She says she knew she wanted to find a landing spot at a private club “The weather is great 10 months out of the year,” she said “Even in August and September [Cabo’s rainy season] We’ve got whales for three months and then the water warms and then everything turns green after the storms Then in the winter we've got cool desert nights and 80-degree days.” especially when you find yourself playing the consecutive par 3s along the ocean Schneider showed off some of her golf skills which starts off on a tee box offering stunning views of the course there’s wind to your back on this hole and on this day Schneider found herself over the green but no worries there She calmly holed out a wedge for eagle from a big swale behind the putting surface with a large green on the other side of a deep arroyo as this beaut is a stunning downhill par 4 that ends at the edge of the Sea of Cortez and as you wait for your group to putt out This spot provides one last on-course photo opp before you meander off the green and head next door for snacks and perhaps some drinks there’s a tremendous outdoor bar and restaurant with views of the waves crashing against craggy rocks Head indoors and you can see the large kitchen staff at work There’s also a private room with floor-to-ceiling windows all around for that next large gathering of family and friends The five-flight tequila tasting is a must-have experience with each of the agave flavors paired with the perfect bite-sized snack Sipping the extra anejo while noshing on the chocolate dessert is the ultimate finisher here it really felt like a cowboy town,” said Erik Evans We didn’t have a lot of golf courses back then.” and one of his early stints was at Diamante He knows the scene about as well as anyone which wasn’t the case here 10 years ago,” he says Before 2010 there were a dozen courses in Cabo There are 18 now and “I see us by 2030 getting to 25 The growth of golf matches the increase in popularity of the entire area There was a surge in the number of visitors to close out the 2022 calendar year which called double-digit growth in tourism “unprecedented” with similar numbers arriving so far in 2023 Nicklaus got the ball rolling and many of the other big-name designers have a stake in the ground Tom Weiskopf built the Cabo Del Sol (originally called the Desert Course) which is now in the hands of the Fry/Straka Design Group with six holes of the new-look layout already completed Greg Norman has two courses in Cabo with two more being designed Fred Couples was involved with the Twin Dolphin Club Ernie Els recently signed on to build Oleada Big brand names are indeed selling this big destination All this high-end golf comes with high-end resorts and residences which makes for all-inclusive experiences for those vacationing in the area with multiple properties offering all-inclusive memberships with exclusive perks that’ll make you extend your stay or perhaps find that next cheap flight for a quick last-minute visit So if it’s fun in the sun with plenty of not-so-serious rounds of golf you seek “We have created an experience around golf you really don’t wanna leave,” said Evans A taco station at the private Cove Club Golf Course at Cabo Del Sol in Cabo San Lucas Mexico (Photo: Golfweek)Whenever you do stick your tee in the ground at Diamante or Cove Club or any of the other courses remember to make the most of your time there enjoy the whole experience,” McCallen said “I would say it takes great land to create great golf and we have great land there's really beautiful desert vegetation “I will definitely say that the people are very welcoming and very warm and they always have a warm welcome here Golfweek's Best 2024: Top 50 courses in Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands and Central America Photos: Ernie Els to design new course, Oleada, at Cabo San Lucas, Mexico PGA Tour's World Wide Technology Championship finds new venue south of the border El Cardonal is prepped and ready for Round 1 of the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship The 2023 World Wide Technology Championship begins Thursday, November 2, with the opening round at El Cardonal in Mexico Here’s what you need to know to watch Round 1 on TV or online For the first time on Thursday, a Tiger Woods-designed golf course will host PGA Tour pros competing in an official event. You can read all about the El Cardonal at Diamante course here some to earn enough points to retain PGA Tour status or return to the winner’s circle after a long layoff Ludvig Aberg led the betting favorites heading into the event You can watch the World Wide Technology Championship on Thursday via Golf Channel beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET. In addition, Peacock will provide a live simulcast of Golf Channel’s coverage Below you will find everything you need to watch the first round of the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship Golf Channel will air the opening round of the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship on TV with a three-hour telecast on Thursday from 4:30-7:30 p.m You can stream the first round of the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship on Thursday via Peacock Peacock will provide a simulcast of Golf Channel’s TV coverage starting at 5 p.m The World Wide Technology Championship has a new venue The PGA Tour announced Tuesday its tournament which has been a staple of the fall schedule for more than a decade is moving to El Cardonal Golf Course at Diamante in 2023 Golfweek reported the news last month The event previously had been played at El Camaleon Golf Club south of Cancun in Mexico’s Riviera Maya. But after 16 years of staging a PGA Tour event, the course jumped ship for LIV Golf, and hosted the inaugural event of the upstart league’s second season in February The World Wide Technology Championship will feature 132 players competing for 500 FedEx Cup points which conclude in August at the Tour Championship the fall events will finalize the top-125 eligibility for the next FedEx Cup season “We are excited to build on our partnership with World Wide Technology as we continue to develop the growth of our sport in Mexico and across Latin America,” said Tyler Dennis will ensure that the PGA Tour’s fall schedule will continue to deliver moments of drama and consequence.” The par-72, 7,300-yard layout features views of the Pacific Ocean and provides players with several shot options to navigate on each hole. Opened in 2014, El Cardonal is No. 26 on Golfweek's Best for 2023 in the Mexico Diamante is a private resort nestled along the coastline of Los Cabos a municipality at the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula in the state of Baja California Sur as well as the TGR-designed Oasis Short Course “Hosting the World Wide Technology Championship will have an incredible impact on Los Cabos and bring unmatched exposure to our region We are thankful to WWT and the PGA Tour for bringing this world-class event to Diamante.” The World Wide Technology Championship is one of two FedEx Cup events in Mexico The PGA Tour has visited Mexico every year since 2007 the first time it held a full-field event outside the United States or Canada All four rounds of the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship will be carried live on Golf Channel in the United States and Latin America the PGA Tour is back for the first of its final three events of the FedEx Cup Fall the Tour heads to a new venue with a familiar name plastered everywhere El Cardonal ranks 26th on the Golfweek’s Best 2023: Top 50 courses in Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands and Central America list It’s one of 11 courses in Cabo on that list It’s also the first golf course designed by Woods WWT Championship: Tiger Woods merch photos | Odds, picks to win here's everything you need to know for the first round of the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal at Diamante Butterfield Bermuda Championship 2024 Sunday final round tee times, PGA Tour pairings, how to watch Leaders shoot 62, Wesley Bryan ties course record and more from third round of 2024 Butterfield Bermuda Championship How did Wesley Bryan prepare to shoot a course record at the 2024 Butterfield Bermuda Championship? Watching Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson Teenager Miles Russell's first pro season is likely over, how did he fare? Trust Tiger Woods to envision a golf course that examines all types of approach shots. Woods, arguably the greatest iron player of all time, is the architect of El Cardonal at Diamante, the host venue for the World Wide Technology Championship. It’s a new tournament home on the west coast of Mexico after 16 years in Riviera Maya. Much like Woods, El Cardonal catches your attention. The par-72 layout covering 7,452 yards has your standard complement of four par 3s and 5s along with 10 par 4s. The Diamante property is immense, and Woods’ course covers a large majority of it. Walking around the course one can only imagine how long it takes to mow all the grass. Kapalua is the only course on TOUR that comes close in scope. Fairways, some 60-yards wide, connect the tee boxes to the largest greens on the PGA TOUR. At 8,300 square feet on average these Paspalum putting complexes cover a ton of surface area. Over the last 24 rounds, the best Paspalum putters on the PGA TOUR in the field are Brandon Wu, Davis Riley, Cameron Champ, Emiliano Grillo and Kelly Kraft. Wu (+6600 at BetMGM) has finished second and third in his last two starts in the Mexico Open at Vidanta. To compound the Paspalum success, in his last two starts in Puerto Rico he hasn’t finished outside the top seven. I’m not sure if Viktor Hovland is ready to give up his title as the Prince of Paspalum yet, but if he did, Wu would be an incredible candidate. Champ (+4000) would have a huge advantage off the tee at El Cardonal as he finished sixth and eighth in his two starts at the Mexico Open at Vidanta. Vidanta Vallarta boasts the same putting surface agronomy as Woods’ Paspalum. Champ also has two top 20 finishes in his last three starts in the FedExCup Fall. Don’t let the seaside setting distract you. The contenders vying for that $8.2 million dollar purse and valuable FedExCup points will have to keep their foot firmly affixed on the gas pedal. No brakes on this ride, we all get to watch the fall’s best players compete to secure their TOUR card. El Cardonal closes with two difficult par 4s, two par 5s, and a short par 3 over the final five holes. Anyone wishing to capture the trophy will need to pass the Paspalum test and limit their total number of putts on their path to victory. The PGA TOUR is committed to protecting our fans. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, the National Council on Problem Gambling operates a confidential toll-free hotline that you can reach by phone or text at 1-800-522-4700. CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico -- Tiger Woods finally has his "Hello World" moment as a golf course architect. Not only did Woods debut the El Cardonal Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas it was also announced that day he would return to build another course inside the lavish timeshare community at the tip of the Baja Peninsula No longer would the focus be on the high-profile design projects in Dubai, North Carolina and Mexico that fell apart on Woods. Visually, El Cardonal can't match the imposing dunes and stunning beachfront holes of the world-ranked Diamante Dunes Course by Davis Love III next door multi-armed cactus that thrives in this region -- features panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean from nearly every hole weaves through dune-framed fairways on the front nine and over desert arroyos on the back nine flash-faced bunkers will immediately catch your eye Their shaping and contours sometimes give off the impression that they're closer to greens or more in play in the fairway than they appear Here's guessing the backstop on the par-3 second hole gives up more aces than the steep drop-off to the left of the 14th green allows up and downs It's so playable that golfers could go for days without losing a ball El Cardonal's sprawling clubhouse is home to a Nike-themed pro shop a golf learning center with three indoor bays and a large driving range Comfort stations on the course and one near the driving range serve free food and drink Only golfers who stay on property and go through a one-time "Stay & Play" sales presentation can play at Diamante The first par 4 on the front nine is short downwind and may be within reach for longer hitters Those aiming to drive the green must carry a deep bunker on the right side of the fairway A successful carry rewards with a kick toward the green but the best line is to the left of the middle fairway bunker It’s not often a PGA TOUR event is played at a different golf course year-over-year get the rotation treatment – along with the RBC Canadian Open and BMW Championship But this year’s World Wide Technology Championship is set for something totally new – and the designer is getting his TOUR debut This is the second playing of the World Wide Technology Championship this season but the first at Tiger Woods' first design It’s the first time the PGA TOUR will host an event at a Woods-designed layout This also is the TOUR's third stop in Mexico this season the first course completed by Woods’ TGR design firm The firm has about a half a dozen other projects currently in development and completed four others between 2016 and 2021 “I set up the golf strategy to make golfers think and make choices,” Woods said on the course website The first 16 years of this event took place in the Riviera Maya before trotting across the country to Los Cabos for this year will ensure that the PGA TOUR’s fall schedule will continue to deliver moments of drama and consequence.” The drama of the FedExCup Fall will continue in Mexico this week – and some of the TOUR’s current best will get to take on a course designed by arguably the TOUR’s all-time best FIELD NOTES: Ludvig Åberg is set to tee it up on TOUR as he looks to solidify his spot inside the top 125 in the FedExCup Fall He lost in a playoff at the Sanderson Farms Championship and finished tied for 13th at the Shriners Children’s Open the next week after a tidy final-round 62 also continues to hunt the top-50 in the Official World Golf Ranking 58 and will earn a Masters invitation if he is in the top 50 at year's end… Maverick McNealy returns to action on the PGA TOUR for the first time since the RBC Canadian Open McNealy has three top-10 finishes this season and had shoulder surgery in June after tearing his left anterior sterno-clavicular in February McNealy finished tied for 10th in last year's World Wide Technology Championship in Mayakoba With the PGA TOUR returning to a calendar-year schedule this fall's events represent the end of a season that began last fall… After breaking through for his first PGA TOUR win at the opening event of the FedExCup Fall Sahith Theegala notched a T19 at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP who was the 12th first-time winner of the season has eight top-10 finishes this season and is back in action… Cameron Young returns after a 10-week break Young last teed it up at the BMW Championship where he finished tied for 15th… Four golfers are in the field for finishing in the top 10 in their previous TOUR starts: Robby Shelton and Ryo Ishikawa all finished in the top 10 at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP while Isaiah Salinda finished tied for seventh at the Shriners Children's Open after Monday qualifying … Michael Block who was the Cinderella story of the PGA Championship after his final-round ace and nifty up-and-down to secure a spot in the 2024 PGA will tee it up for the sixth time on TOUR this season His T15 at the PGA was the highest by a club professional since 1986 He got a spot in the World Wide Technology Championship by winning the Southern California PGA's Match Play Championship SPONSOR EXEMPTIONS: Celebrated college star Chris Gotterup is in the field the 2022 NCAA Player of the Year at Oklahoma earned his PGA TOUR card via finished 23rd on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List this season He has made the cut in 10 of 13 PGA TOUR starts He led the Korn Ferry Tour in Driving Distance this season… A foursome of Mexicans are teeing it up in their home country Isidro Benitez and former TOUR member Roberto Diaz who notched two top-10s on the Korn Ferry Tour this season… Chase Johnson has nabbed his second TOUR start of the season Johnson won THE JOHN SHIPPEN to earn a spot in the Rocket Mortgage Classic where he made the cut Johnson has long pointed to Tiger Woods as an idol and has had a breakthrough 2023 campaign on the Advocates Professional Golf Association with three wins and two runner-up finishes He earned a spot in Mexico thanks to his September APGA Farmers Insurance Fall Series win at Cincinnati… This will mark Preston Summerhays’ fourth TOUR start this season including the U.S who played on Team USA’s Palmer Cup team in April He made the cut at the recent Fortinet Championship (T56) and led the field in Driving Distance (326.8 yards)… Other sponsor invites include Ryan Gerard (who earned Special Temporary Membership on the PGA TOUR earlier this year) and TOUR winners Camilo Villegas and Charley Hoffman There are a handful of golfers competing this week who finished inside the top 50 in the FedExCup standings Their status and spots in next year's Signature Events is secure But those fighting for spots in the top 125 and The Next 10 have plenty to play for with only three weeks remaining on the PGA TOUR schedule The top 125 in the FedExCup Fall standings after the conclusion of The RSM Classic on Nov 19 will retain full status for next season (and earn a spot in THE PLAYERS) 51-60 will earn spots in two West Coast Signature Events (The Genesis Invitational and AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am) Including this week's World Wide Technology Championship there are just three events left in the 2022-23 season The TOUR heads to Bermuda next week and closes out the year with The RSM Classic one week later The tournament scoring record at the World Wide Technology Championship was set (and then tied) the last two times the tournament took place But with the TOUR heading to a new venue this week There’s 132 golfers set to take on the Tiger Woods design and it’ll be an exciting week to see how the best navigate their way around 72-HOLE RECORD: 261, Viktor Hovland (2021), Russell Henley (2022) 18-HOLE RECORD: 61, Roland Thatcher (3rd round, 2008). Television: Thursday-Saturday, 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. ET. Sunday, 3 – 6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel) CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico -- Paul Cowley, dressed like he's just returned from the Australian Outback, parks his maintenance cart at a comfort station on the Dunes Course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas His wide-brimmed hat protects his tanned skin from the unrelenting sun His boots are probably filled with sand from the dunes he's been sculpting the last seven-plus years of his life Nobody knows Diamante's celebrated 36 holes better than Cowley. As the lead architect for Davis Love III, he helped build the Dunes, including two new holes that debuted in 2014. For the past two-plus years, Cowley has served as the project manager for the El Cardonal Course the much anticipated first design by Tiger Woods Cowley brims with pride when talking about golf at Diamante "There is great contrast," he said of the two courses and there are more long views of the ocean Tiger likes the southern California bunkers and strategy." a lavish time-share and real estate development that has quickly surpassed Cabo del Sol as the premier 36-hole club at the tip of the Baja Peninsula Diamante seems to have overcome its early setbacks which included a lawsuit filed by a group of NHL hockey players who were original investors who acted as my tour guide during a visit in January said interest in Diamante has soared since Woods opened El Cardonal in December 2014 "I keep looking at the web site numbers," he said If Cabo is Mexico's version of the Hamptons of Long Island, then Diamante is its National Golf Links or Shinnecock Hills Every golfer wants inside the gates of this private resort to see what all the fuss is about The effort required to play Diamante's headliners is tied to selling real estate and timeshare units A new policy that requires staying on property and attending a "sales presentation" is currently in the works Diamante's golf facilities are spectacular 10-acre saltwater lagoon was created for swimming An all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos is scheduled to open sometime in 2016 The El Cardonal and the Dunes Courses operate in separate campuses Their sprawling clubhouses feature multiple restaurants (El Cardonal's have yet to open) The Dunes Residence Club is a collection of two-bedroom condos on the upper floors of the Dunes clubhouse The El Cardonal clubhouse is particularly impressive with a Nike-theme pro shop and a golf academy home to three indoor hitting bays The driving ranges and comfort stations of both courses serve free food and drink, an over-the-top splurge available at other elite Cabo clubs such as Quivira, the new course by Jack Nicklaus, and at the private Querencia Country Club Savor its creative nuances before you start measuring its worth against the incomparable Dunes Course closer to the Pacific Ocean Panoramic ocean views come from nearly every hole of El Cardonal Woods built broad fairways for his 7,363-yard Maybe Tiger has a soft spot for folks who hit it crooked off the tee Higher handicaps can sneak around many of the large flash-faced fairways and greenside bunkers inspired by the classic courses in southern California Woods grew up playing Better golfers can take them on with bold intentions None of the greens are insanely rumpled with undulations Most of the desert arroyos that crisscross the back nine (with the exception of the 154-yard 16th hole) are clear of scrub brush and bushes "He (Woods) focused more on the people he plays with on Wednesdays (the amateurs in the pro-ams) than on the weekend (the pros)," Jowdy said El Cardonal starts strong with three good holes and finishes that way The par-4 17th hole might be the best of the bunch highlighted by the ocean view from the tee and a tilted fairway that sweeps approach shots from right-to-left into gaping Perhaps the best endorsement of the whole project is that Woods will return to design another course at Diamante "His vision and commitment was strong," Cowley said "He's played a lot of golf courses around the world too -- consciously or subconsciously figure out what kind of courses they like when they play (Woods) has a good depth of design knowledge because of his career as a pro golfer." ranked 52nd in the world by Golf Magazine in 2013 Out are the 12th and 13th holes that wrapped around a lake The two new holes closer to the beach fit more in line with Cowley's "warm-season links" motif which is 80 yards shorter than the previous par 5 ends at a redan-style green that angles diagonally away from the approach shot 378-yard 13th hole wanders downwind toward a 12,000-square-foot punchbowl green starts at its awesome "slider bar," where breakfast or lunch sliders and smoothies are made fresh for golfers 14-acre practice range cut from desert rock The dunes -- more dramatic and natural than those on El Cardonal -- introduce themselves almost immediately creating an amphitheater of sand surrounding the second green Love III used the bigger sand piles to locate a series of elevated tees and greens His "half-par" holes show a fun-loving side not many pros-turned-architects have developed I originally thought the 475-yard sixth hole and 290-yard seventh hole were back-to-back par 4s They're actually a short par 5 and long par 3 a surprising twist that makes sense considering the terrain of each hole It's interesting to note that Woods and Love III have only designed 15 courses between them the golf world could use a few more from both of them The effort for owners to visit Diamante is incredibly high If you invested in Diamante and are an owner/member there you are not allowed on the property if you are not staying there what is the point of investing in a golf membership if you can't golf there if you are in Los Cabos and staying at another resort Owners aren't even allowed to dine at the restaurants on the property while they are in Los Cabos That is what makes Cabo del Sol more appealing I am always welcomed back to any of my three Cabo del Sol properties El Cardonal at Diamante (2:23)Tiger Woods talks with Bob Harig about his latest venture CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico -- A second career that has been eight years in the making saw its first finished product Tuesday on the Baja California peninsula as Tiger Woods opened his first golf course design Woods has plotted out several courses for his Tiger Woods Design group that he launched in in 2006, none of which opened until he hit the opening tee shot and played 18 holes at El Cardonal, part of a five-year-old development called Diamante that already has a Davis Love III designed-course on site Woods has also been commissioned to build a second course at Diamante that has a working title of "The Oasis." North Carolina and Mexico all saw Woods do extensive work without ever opening due to various factors including the economy "We knew this day would come," Woods said as he walked and played the course in front of more than 300 Diamante members who paid to attend the opening "We as a design team probably didn't think it would come outside of the United States To do something that I think where people will find a different experience." Even this came with a glitch: in September causing considerable damage and putting many activities on hold for weeks But the golf course opened Tuesday as originally scheduled with Woods thanking staff and local citizens for their efforts in such a difficult time The course -- which is par-72 and stretches out to 7,300 yards -- is part of a high-end real estate development that offers frequent views of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding dunes Woods began the day by giving a clinic on the driving range and acknowledging it was the first time he had hit balls since Dec during the final round of the Hero World Challenge Woods was ill and he said he still has a form of the flu that plagued him then "I've been a little under the weather and haven't touched a club since last week," said Woods He said doctors told him his lingering illness is simply a bad case of the flu Woods now also has other projects in the works he stopped at another course he is designing outside of Houston called Bluejack National Last week he announced a deal to do a course that Donald Trump will manage in Dubai Many name designers have large teams of help but so far Woods' firm is small -- just two paid employees He employs seven total people in his ETW Corporation "He has been here probably twice as many times as any other architect would go to a project," said Ken Jowdy "When he gets off the plane he knows exactly what to do and what's going on He knows exactly if we moved something and he wants to know about it It's not like I have to move him to the first tee." said he would keep his design projects to a minimum due to the amount of time he expects to spend on them "I'm still concentrating on winning golf tournaments," he said Mexico — Tiger Woods has been spending quite a bit of time at this scenic slice of land at the tip of Mexico's Baja peninsula Woods steps into a new realm in 2014 as an architect with the unveiling of his first signature design golf course Woods' debut as an architect has been a long time coming his previous design projects in North Carolina Dubai and at another location in Mexico were derailed because of the bad economy there's grass on nearly half of the par-71 exposing Woods' vision for the wide spectrum of players Woods had a considerable head start with a breathtaking piece of property El Cardonal isn't as close to the Pacific Ocean as the facility's first course the Davis Love III-designed Diamante Dunes The first hole is a downhill par 5 framed by the blue water below The back nine features arroyos (dry creeks or river beds) a tribute to the courses Woods played while growing up in California "When you have a piece of property like this it's really not that hard," Woods said in a promotional video "You don't find too many places like this in the world Describing himself as "very hands-on," he has visited Diamante six times He he now has a home there and has plans for several trips as the course nears completion His team includes design associates Beau Welling and Shane Robichaud Bell said Woods is "involved in everything we do." Ken Jowdy has been impressed with Woods' dedication to the project "It's great to see a guy that passionate about the game," Jowdy said "He's really committed to doing a good job on this course." Jowdy said Woods' emphasis is on playability Woods said his aim is for all players to have to make similar strategic decisions during the round "He's focusing more on the people he plays with on Wednesdays (the amateurs in the pro-ams) than on the weekend (the pros)," Jowdy said This isn't to say there won't be considerable challenges at El Cardonal Woods also has other obstacles planned along the way With the bunkers and varied size of the greens Woods clearly is placing a premium on making golfers think their way around the course old-style golf courses of the West Coast," Bell said "They used bunkers and other hazards not as a deterrent but instead to force players to make a decision Tiger wants the variety of holes and strategic options to promote shot-making while still creating a very playable experience." The course is part of a luxury development at Diamante that will include multimillion-dollar homes Diamante features a 10-acre swimming pool that looks like a miniature lake Both courses at Diamante are private and can be accessed only by being a member or staying at the property the hope is that Woods' name will boost attention to the development Bell wouldn't discuss financial terms; no one would say if Woods' design fee includes an ownership stake in Diamante that will feature stunning cliffside holes Much of the attention at Cabo will focus on El Cardonal It will be the first chance to evaluate Woods as a designer "We're trying to deliver a great course," Woods said.