The PGA Tour plays an event in a fourth different country in as many weeks as it heads to Mexico for the newly called World Wide Technology Championship, formerly the Mayakoba Classic. After America, Japan and Bermuda it is now another country in that part of the world hosting the tour.
Viktor Hovland won this tournament last year and he heads over to Mexico to attempt to defend the title. He takes on a much stronger field now that travelling over the border is a lot easier than it was a year ago.
Recent Winners
2020 – Viktor Hovland
2019 – Brendon Todd
2018 – Matt Kuchar
2017 – Patton Kizzire
2016 – Pat Perez
2015 – Graeme McDowell
2014 – Charley Hoffman
2013 – Harris English
2012 – John Huh
2011 – Johnson Wagner
The Course
It is the El Camaleon Golf Club at the Mayakoba Resort in Mexico which hosts the tournament this week. This is a paradise for ball strikers with those who hit it clean but who can roll putts nicely having leading chances. One thing to factor into the equation on the par 70 which measures 7,017 yards is the wind. If that comes into play you want players who are comfortable in the breeze, as highlighted by the last few winners.
If you look through those previous winners they are all good ball strikers. There is a premium on accuracy around here both off the tee and into the greens. The other thing to factor in here is altitude with us being over in Mexico. We’re looking for accurate hitters here with great control of their golf ball rather than bombers or anything like that. We usually get a classy winner here too so that is another thing to bear in mind.
The Field
There is a decent field teeing it up this week. One reason for that is a lot of the star names didn’t bother with the trip to Japan a couple of weeks ago and the event in Bermuda last week was more a second string event. That means the big names haven’t been on show since the CJ Cup and there are only three regular tour events left of 2021 for them to get some more competitive reps in. Viktor Hovland will get all the attention this week but there are plenty of stars on show.
His Ryder Cup teammates Ian Poulter, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Sergio Garcia and Shane Lowry are all in the field this week as are members of the winning American team in Justin Thomas, Tony Finau, Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler. The BMW PGA Championship winner Billy Horschel is in the field as is the man who took down the title in Bermuda last week in Lucas Herbert. Patrick Reed, Russell Henley and Joaquin Niemann are some of the others who will be hoping to go well here.
Market Leaders
Justin Thomas is a 14/1 favourite to win the tournament this week. His form looks to be bubbling under the boiling point but with ‘Bones’ taking over on the bag you sense he is going to win sooner rather than later. He doesn’t have a great record in this event but he has four top 10s in four attempts in the other Mexico event, the WGC which is played much earlier in the year. I respect Thomas with Bones on the bag but he’s a bit short for me.
The home star Abraham Ancer is the 18/1 second favourite to win the golf tournament this week. He has offered up two top 10s in six starts in this tournament previously but he has never come here as a WGC champion before like he does here. Clearly there is a pressure that comes with performing in front of his home fans but based on previous results I wouldn’t say that necessarily hampers him. He’s an obvious pick for those who like his price but I think he might be a little on the skinny side.
The defending champion Viktor Hovland comes next in the betting at 20/1. We know from last year that the Norwegian can win around here and that is half the battle you sense. Hovland has been a little quiet since the new season started. Whether that is a bit of a hangover from the Ryder Cup or just the sheer volume of golf in 2021 catching up with him only he will know. He also feels short but I wouldn’t be interested anyway as I don’t back defending champions. As ever there is just too much demand on their time.
Tony Finau arrives as a FedExCup playoff event winner and at 28/1 I’m sure he’ll be popular. He hasn’t registered a top 10 finish since he won at Liberty National though but he does have two top 10s around here in the past and is probably hitting the ball as well now as he has ever done. He has also played a lot of golf in recent times and might just need to recharge the batteries. Of the top four in the market he interests me the most but not enough to pull the trigger.
Safer Gambling Week
This week is Safer Gambling Week, an initiative we are fully supportive of on this website. If you are having a problem with your gambling click the image below for help.
Main Bets
Billy Horschel tees it up on the PGA Tour for the first time this season but he has won the BMW PGA Championship since he was last seen in action on his main tour. He has more reason than most to stay competitive and in good form for the next few weeks because he will go to Dubai in a couple of weeks with a very strong chance of landing the Race to Dubai crown and the European number one title that goes with it. I sense that is why he’s had a break since the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and as long as there is no rust to shake off I expect him to go very well here. He spoke at the Dunhill Links about reassessing goals so the West Ham fan remains driven to succeed and heads to a course where he has finished eighth and fifth in the last two years. In between that he registered a top 10 in the WGC in Mexico so he likes playing on this side of the border clearly. With more motivation than some he looks a standout bet to me.
Talor Gooch heads to Mexico off the back of a very strong start to the season. He has played three tournaments this season and finished 4-11-5 in those events which includes a 62 to finish up with at the CJ Cup. There is also a round of 64 in there too so Gooch is scoring well and that is backed up with the putter where he has ranked in the top 20 for putting average for those three tournaments. It is on the approach shots here he is really impressing. His three strokes gained on approach marks this season have been 19-5-1 so with irons dialled in and a hot putter if he has his distance control on point at altitude he looks like a leading fancy here.
Outsiders
Nobody hit more greens in regulation in Bermuda last week than Russell Knox and given that the Scot has three top 10s around here in the past and will clearly be comfortable in any breeze that is blowing this week he might not be without a chance. He wasn’t just leading the way in greens hit last week, he ranked sixth in driving accuracy so if he maintains that effort he’ll be playing this course from the fairways which is what you have to do. Knox could do with the putter hotting up but we’ve seen many a golfer struggle with the short stick until he gets on familiar greens and then find it again. I’ll pay to see if Knox does that here.
Tom Hoge was third here last year and is another who is firing plenty of good iron shots in at the minute. He has last three finishes of 14-32-17 so he’s in fairly decent form and it is only a couple of months or so ago that he was finishing fourth in a massively strong field in the opening FedExCup playoff event. In the two playoff events he played he ranked 6-5 in putting average and while that club has gone cold recently, if it picks up to the levels it was in a couple of months ago he’ll be dangerous. We know he’s playing well and we know he can play well here. If a return to the scene of a decent finish heats his putter up he could be a massive price.
Tips
Back B.Horschel to win World Wide Technology Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 34.00 with William Hill (1/5 1-8)
Back T.Hoge to win World Wide Technology Championship (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 126.00 with William Hill (1/5 1-8)
Back them here:
Back T.Gooch to win World Wide Technology Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 41.00 with Betfair (1/5 1-8)
Back him here:
Back R.Knox to win World Wide Technology Championship (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 67.00 with Coral (1/5 1-8)
Back him here:
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2021
