PGA Tips at $34 and $41: Worldwide Technology Championship preview

This week’s main tournament sees the players head to Mexico for the Worldwide Technology Championship, formerly the Mayakoba Classic. This is now a regular stop on the annual circuit, one much enjoyed by the players.

This year has drawn some eye-catching talent to head the market, with Major winners Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa leading the way.

Here’s a full preview of the action on the Yucatan Peninsula…

Want some more great priced tips? The Longshots Report is your guide to high-priced golfers that can earn us profits in some of the less popular markets without winning the tournament. Check it out here.

Worldwide Technology Championship: The Tournament 

A relatively new kid on the block, this event dates back to just 2007 when it first appeared on the schedule. It also marked the return of the PGA Tour to Mexico – then as the OHL Classic, before the Mayakoba Classic, and now the Worldwide Technology Championship. This tournament used to be a make-weight on the shedule whilst the “big names” all played at the WGC Match Play, but it has now carved out a niche of its own in the calendar, played in late October to early November. At this time of the year, early in the 2022-23 season, it’s very much a case of players wanting to get off to a fast start and rack-up some (much needed) prize-money and Money List points, but there’s also a healthy number of highly ranked in the field that will line-up on the shores of the Caribbean Sea… so expect some fiery competition this week!

Prizemoney $8.2m ($1.29m to the winner)

Field 138

Highest ranked players in field
Scheffler (2)
Morikawa (9)
Hovland (11)
Finau (14)
Horschel (16)
Straka (27)

2021 result
-23 Viktor Hovland ($21)
-19 Carlos Ortiz ($71)
-18 Justin Thomas ($15)
-17 Scottie Scheffler ($34)
-16 Joaquin Niemann ($46)
-16 Matthew Wolff ($56)

Other recent winners
Viktor Hovland (2020)
Brendon Todd (2019)
Matt Kuchar (2018)
Patton Kizzire (2017)
Pat Perez (2016).

Worldwide Technology Championship: The Course

El Camaleon Golf Club is a 7,017 yard par 71 situated at Playa Del Carmen – just South of the popular holiday resort, Cancun, on the Yucatan Peninsula. Designed by Greg Norman, the course was opened in 2004 and staged its first event in 2007. It’s a picturesque course, the “chameleon”, using local jungle, mangroves and the coastal locations to provide the players with a stern test. But with good playing conditions scoring can still be low.

72-Hole Record 261: Viktor Hovland (2021)

18-Hole Record 61: Roland Thatcher (2008)

Worldwide Technology Championship: The Weather

After a potentially thundery start, a predominantly dry week is expected with a daily precipitation forecast of 80%-20%-20%-20% over the course of the tournament. Temperatures will be in the low 80s, with partial cloud cover all week. Wind speeds will be in the moderate category, reaching a peak of 11-13mph over the four days.

Worldwide Technology Championship: The Bets

These are two each-way outright bets from the Golf Insider. Members receive all of his best bets for all markets – win and each-way, Top 10, Top 20, Round 1 Leader and 3-Ball groups. He covers every tournament on the PGA and European Tours.

Jason Day $34 with TopSport

You can read the market two ways this week – the Top 4 in the betting (Scheffler/Hovland/Morikawa/Finau) are a class apart or, reputations aside, this quartet are opposable, in different ways, and so create lots of value elsewhere. This has been the conundrum I’ve been trying to solve, and ultimately I think the truth lies somewhere between the two!! I guess, we’ll find out on Sunday. My preference though is to hunt out some value lower down the field, and Day in one such player. Hugely experienced, proven beyond doubt, playing some decent golf (8th and 11th last two starts) the Aussie should like the set-up this week and looks a decent each-way bet.

$34

Kyong-Hoon Lee $151 with TopSport

Like a couple of his fellow countrymen, Lee probably flies much lower on the radar than his talent would deserve. He’s a two-time PGA Tour winner, and a player who is certainly a step-up, in terms of winning ability, to many in this week’s line-up. At this time of year current form is arguably more important, as many players are winding down their schedule, and Lee’s 3rd place at Congaree behind Rory reads very well in this respect. 29th here in 2018, but would have been Top 10 but for a weak R3, Lee could be one who gets into the mix should the big names fail to fire at El Camaleon this week.

$41