The post ‘Not an easy decision’: Why this longtime PGA Tour site embraced LIV Golf appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘Not an easy decision’: Why this longtime PGA Tour site embraced LIV Golf appeared first on Golf.

The schedule for LIV Golf’s sophomore season is still a work in progress, but the tour has confirmed that its 2023 campaign will kick off Feb. 24 at the El Camaleón course at Mayakoba, a sprawling resort and residential property on Mexico’s Riviera Maya.

You might know El Camaleón for its signature cave bunker in the middle of the 7th fairway. You might also know El Camaleón as the host site for 16 years of the PGA Tour event known today as [deep breath] the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba. Just last month, Russell Henley won the latest edition of the WWTC, beating runner-up Brian Harman by four strokes.  

El Camaleón, at least for the foreseeable future, will not find itself in the unlikely position of simultaneously serving as a host site for two tours that are suing one another. That’s because as LIV has initiated a partnership with Mayakoba, the PGA Tour has quietly stepped away from its own.

A Tour spokesperson told GOLF.com that its facility agreement with Mayakoba owner RLH Properties ended with the 2022 event and would not be re-upped, adding, “The PGA TOUR and World Wide Technology are working together to identify new host site options and will determine a new direction in the near future.” A statement from WWT, provided via the Tour, read in part, “We will explore PGA TOUR tournament sponsorship options in the future as we continue to support communities around the globe.”

But this is where things get a bit murky, as things often do with breakups. On Thursday of last week, a Mayakoba spokesperson wrote in a statement to GOLF.com, “The PGA Tour did not prior and still has not informed Mayakoba they will be not renewing the WWTC event at Mayakoba in 2023. Their agreement remains intact as of this morning. Mayakoba is keen to host its PGA Tour event for the 17th year. Unless the PGA Tour will confirm, the Mayakoba event could very well remain on the PGA Tour’s 2023-2024 schedule.”

On Friday, in a phone interview with GOLF.com, RLH Properties CEO Borja Escalada said he last met with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Andy Pazder, who is the Tour’s chief tournaments and competitions officer, at the WWTC last month. In that meeting, Escalada said he asked how the Tour would feel about sharing a venue with LIV.  

“They said, ‘That’s a great question,’” Escalada recalled. ”’We do not have an answer today.’ Basically, what we said is, ‘If there’s anything you think we can do to support both tournaments and to support golf — which is what we’re really focused on — we’d be more than happy to do it.’”

When notified of the statement the PGA Tour had provided GOLF.com, Escalada said, “We have not received as strong an answer as you have received but we can assume that [the PGA Tour relocating the WWTC] most probably will be the case.”

When asked why the Tour chose not to re-up its deal with Mayakoba, a Tour spokesperson declined to comment. But it’s not hard to read the tea leaves. Given the Tour and LIV’s deeply fractured relationship, Ponte Vedra’s c-suite would surely recoil at the notion of sharing a site with the Saudi-financed league. Also, the Tour-LIV rivalry aside, sharing a venue with another big-time golf event is generally not good business when it comes to trying to attract fans and sponsorships. It dilutes the brand.

Escalada’s team has been talking to LIV representatives for more than two years, he said. There’s a natural bridge: Greg Norman, LIV’s CEO and commissioner, designed El Camaleón, so he’s had a longstanding relationship with Mayakoba. Escalada also is close with many LIV players, he said. Two past WWTC winners — Graeme McDowell and Pat Perez — are now on LIV’s payroll, as are Mexico’s two biggest stars, Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz. A fifth LIV player, Sergio Garcia — who hails from Escalada’s native Spain — is designing a course at Mayakoba that will open in 2024. Ancer, Ortiz and Garcia are LIV teammates. So, yeah, if had you spent even a little time trying to identify a PGA Tour site that might partner with LIV, Mayakoba likely would have landed on your short list.

Thirteen months ago, during the week of the 2021 WWTC, Escalada invited several players to his home for dinner to discuss, among other topics, the players’ feelings about LIV Golf, which at that point was still just a well-funded rumor. “We came away from the meeting with the idea that LIV was something we’ll start thinking on,” Escalada said.

And think they did. In the ensuing months, Escalada said, he learned as much as he could about LIV and how players were responding to it. He had many conversations with Norman, other LIV executives and LIV players, as well as PGA Tour executives and other notables around the golf world. He and his team weighed the pros and cons — exposure, sponsorships, LIV’s perception, site fees, players Mayakoba would lose and gain — before ultimately deciding to sign with LIV, in part, Escalada said, because he believes it will “open a huge window to the world and how much we have to offer.”

“This was not an easy decision,” Escalada added. “The PGA Tour has been explaining to us everything they have to offer.”

But there was at least one thing — or two players, to be more precise — that the PGA Tour could not offer Mayakoba: Ancer and Ortiz. “We like to think we have been part of the development of the history of Mexican golf,” Escalada said of Mayakoba’s standing as the first-ever PGA Tour site in Mexico, “and it was sad for us not having the two best Mexican players in history here.” He added, “Our young golfers look up to them.”

Bringing LIV to Mayakoba means Ancer and Ortiz now have a home game again.

Another factor that would have weighed on Mayakoba’s decision-making: the uncertain future of the PGA Tour’s fall schedule. Under the Tour’s newly implemented “elevated” schedule — which will bring the top players together more frequently from January to August — the nine fall events, beginning in 2023, will no longer award FedEx Cup points and instead serve as a de facto Q School with players who finished 71-125 on the FedEx points list competing in those tournaments for playing privileges in the ensuing season.

This should mean more drama for a part of the schedule that competes for Sunday eyeballs with the mighty National Football League, but it could also mean fewer stars in the fields. As Peter Malnati, co-chairman of the Player Advisory Council, told Golfweek’s Adam Schupak: “The Tour knows this isn’t awesome for the sponsors of the fall events to tell them that the guys who finish top 70 don’t have to play your events and probably won’t.”

News

Viktor Hovland, who has won two of his three career PGA Tour titles at Mayakoba, was asked last week at the Hero World Challenge, which he went on to win, about the Tour’s decision to sever ties with the Mexico site.

“It’s a free market, they can do whatever they want,” Hovland said. “That’s certainly not going to take away the memories that I had from that place. I don’t know what the Tour has announced, but I have a hope that we can still come back there and still host an event there. I don’t see the issue logistically with having two tournaments there, and then maybe the PGA Tour can show that, hey, this is how we run an event there, and make it a competition in that way, see who shows up and see which event is better. If not, then I’ll try to find other places that I can win on.”

Unless the PGA Tour and LIV have an unexpected kumbaya moment, the Tour is unlikely to endorse any plan that has the tours sharing sites (or just about anything else for that matter). Mayakoba, on the other hand, would jump at the opportunity.  

“We’ve expressed to both LIV and the PGA Tour that we’d be more than happy to try to make that happen,” Escalada said. “We understand that there are many places to play golf, but why should a venue only host one event?”

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The post Winner’s bag: Viktor Hovland at the 2021 World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba appeared first on Golf.

The post Winner’s bag: Viktor Hovland at the 2021 World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba appeared first on Golf.

Viktor Hovland, at 24 years old, captured his third career PGA Tour victory on Sunday at the 2021 World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba in Mexico. Below, we highlight the equipment that the Ping staffer used this week to win.

Driver: Ping G425 LST (Fujikura Speeder TR 661TX shaft), 9 degrees

Fairway wood: TaylorMade SIM (Mitsubishi Tensei Blue AV 85TX shaft), 15 degrees

Irons: Ping i210 (3-PW; Graphite Design Tour AD-DI Hybrid 85X in his 3 iron, and KBS Tour-V 120X shafts in his 4-PW)

Wedges: Ping Glide Forged Pro (50 and 56 degrees; KBS Tour-V 130X shafts), Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks (60 degrees; KBS Tour-V 130X shaft)

Putter: Ping PLD DS 72

Golf ball: Titleist Pro V1

Want to overhaul your bag for 2021? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below!

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The post How to watch the 2021 World Wide Technology Championship: TV schedule, tee times appeared first on Golf.

The post How to watch the 2021 World Wide Technology Championship: TV schedule, tee times appeared first on Golf.

The PGA Tour heads to Cancun this week for the 2021 World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the tournament.

World Wide Technology Championship preview

The globe-trotting PGA Tour continues this week — another tournament, another country, multiple time zones away. This time we’re headed just south of Cancun, to Mayakoba, where golfers cross the fairways just as much as the local wildlife.

Playing the starring, pre-tournament role of highest ranked player in the field is Justin Thomas, No. 7. He’s joined by six other Top 20 pros in Mexico, contributing to a massive increase in the tournament’s strength of field. There’s No. 11 Tony Finau and No. 13 Brooks Koepka. And how could we forget No. 17, defending champion Viktor Hovland. He’s very happy to be back in a familiar place:

Lifestyle

“This is my fourth time playing a PGA Tour event here and I also played the World Amateur here a few years back, so it’s going to be my fifth time at this property, so it’s kind of weird coming to a place where I almost feel like a veteran since I haven’t been out here very long. But I love everything about this place. The golf course is great, the weather’s great, it’s in really good shape and the resort’s amazing. It’s kind of like a vacation from our bad weather in Oklahoma right now.”

Whatever works for you, Vik.

You can find the full list of tee times for Thursday’s first round and Friday’s second round below, along with complete information about streaming the 2021 World Wide Technology Championship online or watching the action on TV.

World Wide Technology Championship basics

What: World Wide Technology Championship
Where: El Camaleon Golf Club
When: Thursday-Sunday, Nov. 4-7
Purse: $7.2 million ($1.296 million winner’s share)
Last year’s champion: Viktor Hovland

How to watch the World Wide Technology Championship on TV

You can watch the entire 2021 World Wide Technology Championship on Golf Channel. Check out the full TV schedule below.

Thursday, Nov. 4: Noon-6 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 5: Noon-6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 6: Noon-5 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 7: 2-5 p.m.

How to watch the World Wide Technology Championship online, streaming

You can watch the 2021 World Wide Technology Championship online in multiple ways. You can stream the Golf Channel coverage at golfchannel.com/watch or nbcsports.com/live by logging in with your cable credentials. Another way to catch the action is with PGA Tour Live, which also includes featured group coverage, though you’ll need a subscription to access the stream.

How to bet on the World Wide Technology Championship

Looking to make a (legal!) wager yourself? We teamed with BetMGM, and the online sportsbook is offering a “Risk-Free Bet” up to $1000 promotion. Sign up for an account to get into the action today.

2021 World Wide Technology Championship tee times: Round 1 (ET)

Tee No. 1

7:55 a.m. – Troy Merritt, Will Zalatoris, Roger Sloan
8:06 a.m. – Ryan Moore, Rory Sabbatini, Patrick Rodgers
8:17 a.m. – Aaron Wise, Peter Malnati, Scottie Scheffler
8:28 a.m. – Andrew Landry, Chez Reavie, Kevin Tway
8:39 a.m. – Ryan Palmer, Jimmy Walker, Danny Willett
8:50 a.m. – Martin Laird, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry
9:01 a.m. – Seamus Power, Hudson Swafford, Tyler Duncan
9:12 a.m. – Garrick Higgo, Adam Long, Henrik Stenson
9:23 a.m. – Russell Knox, J.J. Spain, Kramer Hickok
9:34 a.m. – Luke List, Henrik Norlander, Joseph Bramlett
9:45 a.m. – Vincent Whaley, David Lipsky, Samuel Del Val
12:35 p.m. – Brendan Steele, Brian Stuard, Alex Noren
12:46 p.m. – Matt Fitzpatrick, Doc Redman, Sepp Straka
12:57 p.m. – Bill Haas, Nick Watney, Anirban Lahiri
1:08 p.m. – Nick Taylor, J.T. Poston, Francesco Molinari
1:19 p.m. – Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Sergio Garcia
1:30 p.m. – Lucas Herbert, Patrick Reed, Viktor Hovland
1:41 p.m. – Brendon Todd, Patton Kizzire, Pat Perez
1:52 p.m. – Kevin Streelman, John Huh, Adam Schenk
2:03 p.m. – Keegan Bradley, Scott Stallings, Talor Gooch
2:14 p.m. – Taylor Pendrith, Greyson Sign, Eugenio Chacarra
2:25 p.m. – Thomas Detry, JD Fernandez, Juan Carlos Benitez

Tee No. 10

7:55 a.m. – Jonas Blixt, Danny Lee, Chris Kirk
8:06 a.m. – Ian Poulter, James Hahn, Harold Varner III
8:17 a.m. – Andrew Putnam, Camilo Villegas, Tom Hoge
8:28 a.m. – Joel Dahmen, Nate Lashley, Charles Howell III
8:39 a.m. – Tony Finau, Billy Horschel, Brooks Koepka
8:50 a.m. – Justin Thomas, Joaquin Niemann, Rickie Fowler
9:01 a.m. – Graeme McDowell, Matt Kuchar, Charley Hoffman
9:12 a.m. – Matt Jones, Matthew Wolff, Justin Rose
9:23 a.m. – Emiliano Grillo, Maverick McNealy, Stephan Jaeger
9:34 a.m. – Adam Svensson, Davis Riley, Guido Migliozzi
9:45 a.m. – Mito Pereira, Curtis Thompson, Camilo Aguado
12:35 p.m. – Jhonattan Vegas, Russell Henley, Hank Lebioda
12:46 p.m. – Brian Harman, Charl Schwartzel, Denny McCarthy
12:57 p.m. – Brice Garnett, Sam Ryder, Doug Ghim
1:08 p.m. – Dylan Frittelli, Martin Trainer, Luke Donald
1:19 p.m. – Michael Thompson, Sung King, Zach Johnson
1:30 p.m. – Brian Gay, Gary Woodland, Keith Mitchell
1:41 p.m. – Richie Werenski, C.T. Pan, Brandt Snedeker
1:52 p.m. – Kyle Stanley, Adam Hadwin, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
2:03 p.m. – Scott Piercy, Cameron Triangle, Kelly Kraft
2:14 p.m. – Trey Mullinax, Aaron Rai, Andrew Novak
2:25 p.m. – Roberto Diaz, Willie Mack III, Braden Thornberry

2021 World Wide Technology Championship tee times: Round 2 (ET)

Tee No. 1

7:55 a.m. – Jhonattan Vegas, Russell Henley, Hank Lebioda
8:06 a.m. – Brian Harman, Charl Schwartzel, Denny McCarthy
8:17 a.m. – Brice Garnett, Sam Ryder, Doug Ghim
8:28 a.m. – Dylan Frittelli, Martin Trainer, Luke Donald
8:39 a.m. – Michael Thompson, Sung King, Zach Johnson
8:50 a.m. – Brian Gay, Gary Woodland, Keith Mitchell
9:01 a.m. – Richie Werenski, C.T. Pan, Brandt Snedeker
9:12 a.m. – Kyle Stanley, Adam Hadwin, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
9:23 a.m. – Scott Piercy, Cameron Triangle, Kelly Kraft
9:34 a.m. – Trey Mullinax, Aaron Rai, Andrew Novak
9:45 a.m. – Roberto Diaz, Willie Mack III, Braden Thornberry
12:35 p.m. – Jonas Blixt, Danny Lee, Chris Kirk
12:46 p.m. – Ian Poulter, James Hahn, Harold Varner III
12:57 p.m. – Andrew Putnam, Camilo Villegas, Tom Hoge
1:08 p.m. – Joel Dahmen, Nate Lashley, Charles Howell III
1:19 p.m. – Tony Finau, Billy Horschel, Brooks Koepka
1:30 p.m. – Justin Thomas, Joaquin Niemann, Rickie Fowler
1:41 p.m. – Graeme McDowell, Matt Kuchar, Charley Hoffman
1:52 p.m. – Matt Jones, Matthew Wolff, Justin Rose
2:03 p.m. – Emiliano Grillo, Maverick McNealy, Stephan Jaeger
2:14 p.m. – Adam Svensson, Davis Riley, Guido Migliozzi
2:25 p.m. – Mito Pereira, Curtis Thompson, Camilo Aguado

Tee No. 10

7:55 a.m. – Brendan Steele, Brian Stuard, Alex Noren
8:06 a.m. – Matt Fitzpatrick, Doc Redman, Sepp Straka
8:17 a.m. – Bill Haas, Nick Watney, Anirban Lahiri
8:28 a.m. – Nick Taylor, J.T. Poston, Francesco Molinari
8:39 a.m. – Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Sergio Garcia
8:50 a.m. – Lucas Herbert, Patrick Reed, Viktor Hovland
9:01 a.m. – Brendon Todd, Patton Kizzire, Pat Perez
9:12 a.m. – Kevin Streelman, John Huh, Adam Schenk
9:23 a.m. – Keegan Bradley, Scott Stallings, Talor Gooch
9:34 a.m. – Taylor Pendrith, Greyson Sign, Eugenio Chacarra
9:45 a.m. – Thomas Detry, JD Fernandez, Juan Carlos Benitez
12:35 p.m. – Troy Merritt, Will Zalatoris, Roger Sloan
12:46 p.m. – Ryan Moore, Rory Sabbatini, Patrick Rodgers
12:57 p.m. – Aaron Wise, Peter Malnati, Scottie Scheffler
1:08 p.m. – Andrew Landry, Chez Reavie, Kevin Tway
1:19 p.m. – Ryan Palmer, Jimmy Walker, Danny Willett
1:30 p.m. – Martin Laird, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry
1:41 p.m. – Seamus Power, Hudson Swafford, Tyler Duncan
1:52 p.m. – Garrick Higgo, Adam Long, Henrik Stenson
2:03 p.m. – Russell Knox, J.J. Spain, Kramer Hickok
2:14 p.m. – Luke List, Henrik Norlander, Joseph Bramlett
2:25 p.m. – Vincent Whaley, David Lipsky, Samuel Del Val

The post How to watch the 2021 World Wide Technology Championship: TV schedule, tee times appeared first on Golf.

The post World Wide Technology Championship odds to win: Justin Thomas leads the pack appeared first on Golf.

The post World Wide Technology Championship odds to win: Justin Thomas leads the pack appeared first on Golf.

The PGA Tour heads south of the border this week for the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba, and some of the biggest stars in the world will be in attendance. Among them is world No. 7 Justin Thomas who, according to Bet MGM, is the favorite to take home the title, listed at +1200.

Thomas is making his third career start at Mayakoba, owning top-25 results in each of his two previous appearances. He finished T23 in 2015 and then finished T12 last fall in his other start.

The next-best odds are for Abe Ancer and Viktor Hovland, both listed at +1600. Ancer is making his seventh start in the event, with a T8 in 2020 representing his best finish, while Hovland looks to defends his title he earned last year.

For odds for the entire field, check out the list below.

World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba odds to win

Justin Thomas +1600

Abe Ancer +1600

Viktor Hovland +1600

Tony Finau +2500

Aaron Wise +3000

Billy Horschel +3000

Brooks Koepka +3000

Patrick Reed +3000

Tyrrell Hatton +3000

Matthew Fitzpatrick +3300

Scottie Scheffler +3300

Will Zalatoris +3500

Cameron Tringale +4000

Matthew Wolff +4000

Russell Henley +4000

Sergio Garcia +4000

Shane Lowry +4000

Talor Gooch +4000

Joaquin Niemann +4000

Keegan Bradley +4000

Justin Rose +5000

Mito Pereira +5000

Rickie Fowler +5000

Gary Woodland +5000

Mav McNealy +5000

Alex Noren +6600

Brendon Todd +6600

Kevin Streelman +6600

Seamus Power +6600

Christian Bezuidenhout +6600

Emiliano Grillo +6600

Harold Varner III +6600

Brian Harman +6600

Joel Dahmen +6600

Carlos Ortiz +8000

Charley Hoffman +8000

Chez Reavie +8000

Chris Kirk +8000

Ian Poulter +8000

Jhonattan Vegas +8000

Lucas Herbert +8000

Patrick Rodgers +8000

Russell Knox +8000

Taylor Pendrith +8000

Brendan Steele +8000

Luke List +8000

Adam Hadwin +10000

C.T. Pan +10000

Henrik Stenson +10000

Matt Kuchar +10000

Pat Perez +10000

Scott Stallings +10000

Tom Hoge +10000

Adam Schenk +10000

Charles Howell III +1000

Henrik Norlander +10000

Matt Jones +10000

Stephan Jaeger +10000

Brian Stuard +12500

Bryce Garnett +12500

Danny Lee +12500

Danny Willett +12500

Keith Mitchell +12500

Martin Laird +12500

Patton Kizzire +12500

Rory Sabbatini +12500

Ryan Palmer +12500

Scott Piercy +12500

Troy Merritt +12500

Vincent Whaley +12500

Aaron Rai +15000

Adam Long +15000

Doug Ghim +15000

Francesco Molinari +15000

Graeme McDowell +15000

Guido Migliozzi +15000

Kyle Stanley +15000

Ryan Moore +15000

Thomas Detry +15000

Tyler Duncan +15000

David Lipsky +15000

Andrew Putnam +15000

Davis Riley +15000

Greyson Sigg +15000

J.J. Spaun +15000

James Hahn +15000

Nate Lashley +15000

Peter Malnati +15000

Sam Ryder +15000

Zach Johnson +15000

Adam Svensson +20000

Charl Schwartzel +20000

Denny McCarthy +20000

Hank Lebioda +20000

Hudson Swafford +20000

J.T. Poston +20000

Jimmy Walker +20000

Joseph Bramlett +20000

Roger Sloan +20000

Brandt Snedeker +25000

Brian Gay +25000

John Huh +25000

Kramer Hickok +25000

Michael Thompson +25000

Nick Taylor +25000

Nick Watney +25000

Sung Kang +25000

Trey Mullinax +25000

Anirban Lahiri +30000

Camilo Villegas +30000

Doc Redman +30000

Kevin Tway +30000

Richy Werenski +30000

Sepp Straka +30000

Andrew Novak +30000

Andrew Landry +35000

Curtis Thompson +35000

Eugino Chacarra +40000

Luke Donald +40000

Jonas Blixt +50000

Roberto Diaz +50000

Braden Thornberry +50000

Bill Haas +60000

Kelly Kraft +60000

Camilo Aguado +75000

Juan Carlos Benitez +10000

Martin Trainer +100000

Willie Mack III +100000

Samuel Del Val +100000

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The post This Tour pro just went full ‘Happy Gilmore’ on the greens at Mayakoba appeared first on Golf.

The post This Tour pro just went full ‘Happy Gilmore’ on the greens at Mayakoba appeared first on Golf.

Before Saturday’s round at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, Joel Dahmen was messing around on the putting green. It’s an appropriate event for messing around before the round. Mayakoba is where the good times (and good putts) roll, as it’s the last full-field Tour event of the year and it’s held at a breathtaking resort in the Riviera Maya. Tour pros ride bicycles to the clubhouse to make their tee times.

Dahmen is famously chill no matter the venue, and extra-chill in Cancun. That’s why, as he warmed up for his Saturday tee time — in the second-to-last group, mind you — he was putting like Happy Gilmore. You know the look: Left hand high, right hand low, like he’s gripping a hockey stick.

It worked for Happy Gilmore at the 1996 Tour Championship. Who’s to say it couldn’t work for Dahmen? But it’s one thing to mess around on the driving range (like Dahmen did before the first round, when he warmed up left-handed) or the practice green; actually incorporating it into tournament play is a different animal.

But Dahmen isn’t most Tour players. His caddie Geno Bonnalie, who relates various stories of mischief via Twitter, described what happened next. At No. 17, coming off back-to-back bogeys, Dahmen decided to change things up and went with the split-grip Gilmore approach.

Success! He holed his birdie putt. On No. 18, he hit his approach shot close again. In golf, it’s always good to ride the hot hand, so Dahmen went full Happy again, sliding that right hand down the putter shaft. His ball toppled ever-so-gently over the edge of the cup and in for another birdie 3.

The putt finished off a third-round 68 for Dahmen, who sits T11 heading to Sunday’s final round, six shots off the lead of Emiliano Grillo.

“I might do that in front of Captain Stricker tomorrow,” Dahmen told GOLF.com, referring to his final-round playing partner, who just so happens to be the U.S. Ryder Cup captain. “Been practicing with it. It’s solid.”

Did he mean it? With Dahmen, the line between joking and serious is particularly blurry.

“I honestly have no idea,” Bonnalie wrote on Twitter, asked whether Dahmen will go split-grip again.

Dahmen posed a question of his own: “Hey @stevestricker how many putts do I need to make tomorrow to possibly get a nod for the Ryder Cup?” he asked.

“Question is, can the Happy Gilmore putting stroke hold up under @rydercup pressure??” Stricker responded.

“Well I just got nervous,” Dahmen wrote back. He currently ranks No. 25 in Ryder Cup qualifying points, so maybe a little face time with the captain will help his cause.

Although he’s proven a steady all-around player, Dahmen has never ranked inside the top 100 in strokes gained putting. Still, he’s proven plenty entertaining on the greens. There was this particularly epic walk-in par:

Then there was his Gladiator-style celebration after a made putt at the Zozo:

In other words, we don’t know quite what to expect from Dahmen come Sunday. But there’s a good chance it’ll be highly entertaining.

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The post 2020 Mayakoba Golf Classic tee times: First round groupings for Thursday appeared first on Golf.

The post 2020 Mayakoba Golf Classic tee times: First round groupings for Thursday appeared first on Golf.

The 2020 Mayakoba Golf Classic presented by UNIFIN — the final PGA Tour tournament of 2020 — kicks off Thursday, December 3, in Mexico. You can find full first round tee times for the tournament at the bottom of this post.

Notable groupings for Mayakoba Golf Classic Round 1

The man to beat in Mexico this week will no doubt be Justin Thomas. Thomas is currently ranked No. 3 in the world, and he has no plans of moving anywhere but up in the ranking.

In his four starts since the beginning of the 2020-21 season, Thomas’ worst finish is a T12 at the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek. In his two most recent events, he finished T2 at the Zozo Championship and solo 4th at the November Masters. So clearly JT is on top of his game. He tees off for Thursday’s first round at the Mayakoba at 7:50 a.m. ET alongside Viktor Hovland and Joaquin Niemann.

Other notable groupings for the opening round include Brooks Koepka, Carlos Ortiz and defending champion Brendon Todd (12:20 p.m. ET); Rickie Fowler, Gary Woodland and Abraham Ancer (7:40 a.m. ET); Tony Finau, Sebastián Muñoz and Corey Conners (12:10 p.m. ET); and Daniel Berger, Charles Howell III and Ryan Armour (8:00 a.m. ET).

Check out the full first round tee times for the 2020 Mayakoba Golf Classic below.

Mayakoba Golf Classic Round 1 tee times (All times ET)

Tee No. 1

7:10 a.m. – Nick Watney, Patrick Rodgers, Xinjun Zhang
7:20 a.m. – Bo Van Pelt, D.J. Trahan, Byeong Hun An
7:30 a.m. – David Hearn, Sepp Straka, Ollie Schniederjans
7:40 a.m. – Michael Kim, Billy Horschel, Brice Garnett
7:50 a.m. – Marc Leishman, Chez Reavie, Satoshi Kodaira
8:00 a.m. – Sung Kang, Keegan Bradley, Andrew Putnam
8:10 a.m. – Adam Long, Troy Merritt, Kevin Stadler
8:20 a.m. – Brian Harman, Hunter Mahan, K.J. Choi
8:30 a.m. – Luke List, Kelly Kraft, Scott Harrington
8:40 a.m. – Kristoffer Ventura, Sebastian Cappelen, Isidro Benitez
8:50 a.m. – Mark Anderson, Ryan Brehm, Drew Nesbitt
11:40 a.m. – Jhonattan Vegas, Adam Schenk, Harry Higgs
11:50 a.m. – Vaughn Taylor, Harris English, Henrik Norlander
12:00 p.m. – Joel Dahmen, Alex Noren, Will Zalatoris
12:10 p.m. – Sebastián Muñoz, Corey Conners, Tony Finau
12:20 p.m. – Carlos Ortiz, Brendon Todd, Brooks Koepka
12:30 p.m. – Patton Kizzire, Jason Dufner, Steve Stricker
12:40 p.m. – Brendan Steele, Wesley Bryan, Luke Donald
12:50 p.m. – Kyle Stanley, Fabián Gómez, Camilo Villegas
1:00 p.m. – Johnson Wagner, Lucas Glover, Bo Hoag
1:10 p.m. – Rafael Campos, Santiago Tarrio, Austin Eckroat
1:20 p.m. – Roger Sloan, Roberto Díaz, Akshay Bhatia

Tee No. 10

7:10 a.m. – Adam Hadwin, Chris Kirk, Kyoung-Hoon Lee
7:20 a.m. – Matt Every, Harold Varner III, Denny McCarthy
7:30 a.m. – Brian Stuard, Tim Wilkinson, Robby Shelton
7:40 a.m. – Gary Woodland, Rickie Fowler, Abraham Ancer
7:50 a.m. – Justin Thomas, Viktor Hovland, Joaquin Niemann
8:00 a.m. – Daniel Berger, Charles Howell III, Ryan Armour
8:10 a.m. – Brian Gay, Max Homa, Pat Perez
8:20 a.m. – Emiliano Grillo, Beau Hossler. Will Gordon
8:30 a.m. – Aaron Baddeley, Branden Grace, Cameron Percy
8:40 a.m. – Brandon Hagy, Chris Baker, Andy Ogletree
8:50 a.m. – Chase Seiffert, Joseph Bramlett, Quade Cummins
11:40 a.m. – Tom Hoge, Sam Ryder, Maverick McNealy
11:50 a.m. – Peter Malnati, John Huh, Bronson Burgoon
12:00 p.m. – Kevin Streelman, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Mark Hubbard
12:10 p.m. – Graeme McDowell, Scott Piercy, D.A. Points
12:20 p.m. – Tyler Duncan, Keith Mitchell, Aaron Wise
12:30 p.m. – Nate Lashley, Austin Cook, Russell Knox
12:40 p.m. – Russell Henley, Chesson Hadley, Rory Sabbatini
12:50 p.m. – Charley Hoffman, J.J. Spaun, Doug Ghim
1:00 p.m. – Hank Lebioda, Vincent Whaley, Patrick Cover
1:10 p.m. – Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Rob Oppenheim, Armando Favela
1:20 p.m. – Michael Gligic, Rhein Gibson, Aaron Terrazas

The post 2020 Mayakoba Golf Classic tee times: First round groupings for Thursday appeared first on Golf.

The post 2020 Mayakoba Golf Classic: How to watch this week’s PGA Tour event in Mexico appeared first on Golf.

The post 2020 Mayakoba Golf Classic: How to watch this week’s PGA Tour event in Mexico appeared first on Golf.

This week the best golfers in the world head to Mexico for the 2020 Mayakoba Golf Classic presented by UNIFIN, the final PGA Tour event of the year. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the tournament.

Mayakoba Golf Classic preview

The long, strange and trying year of 2020 is coming to an end, but not before the PGA Tour squeezes in one last official event in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, before turning the calendar.

Up-and-coming Mexican Tour pro Carlos Ortiz nearly took home the trophy at last year’s Mayakoba Golf Classic. Ortiz fired a five-under 66 in the final round to finish one shot behind winner Brendon Todd. But Ortiz returns to the Mayakoba with a title he didn’t have last year: PGA Tour winner. The 29-year-old held off Dustin Johnson to win the Vivint Houston Open last month.

If Ortiz wants to capture his second Tour win in his home country, he’ll have to best a host of winning Tour pros. In addition to defending champion Brendon Todd, four-time major champion Brooks Koepka is also in the field. Leading the way, though, will be World No. 3 Justin Thomas, who is looking to make up some ground on top-ranked Dustin Johnson.

Below you can view complete information about streaming the 2020 Mayakoba Golf Classic online or watching the action on TV below, as well as full first round tee times.

Mayakoba Golf Classic Basics

What: 2020 Mayakoba Golf Classic presented by UNIFIN
Where: El Camaleon GC, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
When: Thursday-Sunday, Dec. 3-6
Winner’s share: $7.2 million ($1.296 million winner’s share)
Last year’s champion: Brendon Todd

How to watch the Mayakoba Golf Classic on TV

With a cable subscription, you can watch the first three rounds 2020 Mayakoba Golf Classic on Golf Channel. Golf Channel will air three hours of coverage each day Thursday-Saturday. Then NBC takes over the broadcast for Sunday’s final round. Check out the full TV schedule below.

Thursday, Dec. 3: 2-5 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
Friday, Dec. 4: 2-5 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
Saturday, Dec. 5: 2-5 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
Sunday, Dec. 6: 1-4 p.m. ET (NBC)

How to watch the Mayakoba Golf Classic online, streaming

You can stream the 2020 Mayakoba Golf Classic online in various ways. You can watch the Golf Channel coverage at golfchannel.com/watch by logging in with your cable credentials, and you can stream the NBC broadcast at NBC.com. Another way to catch the action is with PGA Tour Live, which also includes featured group coverage, though you’ll need a subscription to access the stream.

2020 Mayakoba Classic tee times: Round 1 (ET)

Tee No. 1

7:10 a.m. – Nick Watney, Patrick Rodgers, Xinjun Zhang
7:20 a.m. – Bo Van Pelt, D.J. Trahan, Byeong Hun An
7:30 a.m. – David Hearn, Sepp Straka, Ollie Schniederjans
7:40 a.m. – Michael Kim, Billy Horschel, Brice Garnett
7:50 a.m. – Marc Leishman, Chez Reavie, Satoshi Kodaira
8:00 a.m. – Sung Kang, Keegan Bradley, Andrew Putnam
8:10 a.m. – Adam Long, Troy Merritt, Kevin Stadler
8:20 a.m. – Brian Harman, Hunter Mahan, K.J. Choi
8:30 a.m. – Luke List, Kelly Kraft, Scott Harrington
8:40 a.m. – Kristoffer Ventura, Sebastian Cappelen, Isidro Benitez
8:50 a.m. – Mark Anderson, Ryan Brehm, Drew Nesbitt
11:40 a.m. – Jhonattan Vegas, Adam Schenk, Harry Higgs
11:50 a.m. – Vaughn Taylor, Harris English, Henrik Norlander
12:00 p.m. – Joel Dahmen, Alex Noren, Will Zalatoris
12:10 p.m. – Sebastián Muñoz, Corey Conners, Tony Finau
12:20 p.m. – Carlos Ortiz, Brendon Todd, Brooks Koepka
12:30 p.m. – Patton Kizzire, Jason Dufner, Steve Stricker
12:40 p.m. – Brendan Steele, Wesley Bryan, Luke Donald
12:50 p.m. – Kyle Stanley, Fabián Gómez, Camilo Villegas
1:00 p.m. – Johnson Wagner, Lucas Glover, Bo Hoag
1:10 p.m. – Rafael Campos, Santiago Tarrio, Austin Eckroat
1:20 p.m. – Roger Sloan, Roberto Díaz, Akshay Bhatia

Tee No. 10

7:10 a.m. – Adam Hadwin, Chris Kirk, Kyoung-Hoon Lee
7:20 a.m. – Matt Every, Harold Varner III, Denny McCarthy
7:30 a.m. – Brian Stuard, Tim Wilkinson, Robby Shelton
7:40 a.m. – Gary Woodland, Rickie Fowler, Abraham Ancer
7:50 a.m. – Justin Thomas, Viktor Hovland, Joaquin Niemann
8:00 a.m. – Daniel Berger, Charles Howell III, Ryan Armour
8:10 a.m. – Brian Gay, Max Homa, Pat Perez
8:20 a.m. – Emiliano Grillo, Beau Hossler. Will Gordon
8:30 a.m. – Aaron Baddeley, Branden Grace, Cameron Percy
8:40 a.m. – Brandon Hagy, Chris Baker, Andy Ogletree
8:50 a.m. – Chase Seiffert, Joseph Bramlett, Quade Cummins
11:40 a.m. – Tom Hoge, Sam Ryder, Maverick McNealy
11:50 a.m. – Peter Malnati, John Huh, Bronson Burgoon
12:00 p.m. – Kevin Streelman, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Mark Hubbard
12:10 p.m. – Graeme McDowell, Scott Piercy, D.A. Points
12:20 p.m. – Tyler Duncan, Keith Mitchell, Aaron Wise
12:30 p.m. – Nate Lashley, Austin Cook, Russell Knox
12:40 p.m. – Russell Henley, Chesson Hadley, Rory Sabbatini
12:50 p.m. – Charley Hoffman, J.J. Spaun, Doug Ghim
1:00 p.m. – Hank Lebioda, Vincent Whaley, Patrick Cover
1:10 p.m. – Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Rob Oppenheim, Armando Favela
1:20 p.m. – Michael Gligic, Rhein Gibson, Aaron Terrazas

The post 2020 Mayakoba Golf Classic: How to watch this week’s PGA Tour event in Mexico appeared first on Golf.

The post Kevin Streelman made this bet with his caddie the first time they played with John Daly appeared first on Golf.

The post Kevin Streelman made this bet with his caddie the first time they played with John Daly appeared first on Golf.

Almost every pro golfer has a good John Daly story. Daly, golf’s everyman, has been one of the game’s most intriguing figures for decades, and he’s been a long-time fan favorite.

Some Daly tales are also the stuff of legend, most notably his love for Diet Coke. In last week’s Subpar Podcast, for example, he told hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz that the most Diet Cokes he’s had in one day was 28. Twenty-eight.

So, with Daly fresh on their minds, two-time PGA Tour winner Kevin Streelman had his own Big John story when he sat down with Subpar this week. Streelman said the first time he was paired with Daly was in the third round of the 2008 Mayakoba in Mexico. Streelman was a rookie, and Daly was the well-known giant he still is today, so Streelman said it was quite the thrill to tee it up alongside him. He also said it was ridiculously hot and humid that day. Streelman was pounding waters. Daly, on the other hand, had a different go-to drink.

“My caddie and I had a wager though,” Streelman said on Subpar. “It was over/under on the number of heaters and over/under on the number of Diet Cokes he’d have. We put it at 18 cigarettes and I think it was 10 Diet Cokes. And he went over on both of those. He had a smoke a hole, two on the par-5s. And he literally had like 12 or 13 Diet Cokes without one single water. It was one of the most athletic things I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Daly shot a one-over 71, and Streelman signed for a 67. He also said the round was a blast.

“He was great,” Streelman said. “Class act. Down to earth. Fun. Relaxed. I really enjoyed playing with him.”

You can watch the entire Subpar episode with Streelman below.

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