The Last Hurrah
OHL Mayakoba Classic
El Camaleon Golf Club
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
El Camaleon Golf Club
Yards: 6,987
Par: 72 (36-35)
Greens: Sea Isle 1 Paspalum
Stimpmeter: 10.5’
Rough: Sea Isle 1 Paspalum at 1.5”
Bunkers: 36
Water Hazards: it’s like Venice except these canals are made out of limestone and zigzag throughout the property. Stay dry my friends.
Course Architects: Greg Norman, 2006
Purse: $6,100,000
Winner’s Share: $1,098,000
FexExCup Points: 500 to the winner
Defending Champion: Harris English set the tournament record 21-under-par 263 to win by four shots.
Dates: November 13-16
Notes: 132 players will be cut to the top 70 and ties for the weekend
Notes II: This is second year in a row that this tournament will be played in November. The first six events were played in February. #Weather
History Lessons
For the second season in a row, the TOUR will play a wrap-around schedule as the 2014-15 season moves to week No. 6 in Mexico. This is the fourth country in six events (Malaysia, China, USA and Mexico). This will be the seventh and final event of the 2014 portion of the 2015 season. Got it?
There were 45 tournaments last season and the USA won 28 of them, down from 31 victories in only 40 events in 2013. The USA has won five of the first six events after Sang-moon Bae won the opening event at Silverado.
There were 12, first-time winners in 2013 yet only 10 last year. This season, Ben Martin, Robert Streb and Nick Taylor have already broken through for their first wins in the first six events.
Past Champions
The OHL Mayakoba Classic opened its doors in 2007 and 50-year-old Fred Funk was the first champion.
2007: Fred Funk -18 (par 70)
2008: Brian Gay -20 (par 70)
2009: Mark Wilson -17 (par 70)
2010: Cameron Beckman -15 (par 71)
2011: Johnson Wagner -17 (par 71)
2012: John Huh -13 (par 71)
2013: Harris English -21 (par 71)
One of these things is not like the other! Only Harris English could be considered a “power” player of the group above. I dug up these stats last year on the winners so let’s see how English matched up:
Fred Funk: 193rd in driving distance, second in driving accuracy, 40th in total putting in 2007 season.
Brian Gay: 196th in driving distance, 17th in driving accuracy, 11th in total putting in the 2008 season.
Mark Wilson: 118th in driving distance, 28th in driving accuracy, 57th in total putting in the 2009 season.
Cameron Beckman: 115th in driving distance, 96th in driving accuracy, 121st in total putting in the 2010 season.
Johnson Wagner: 160th in driving distance, 23rd in driving accuracy, 73rd in total putting in the 2011 season.
John Huh: 113th in driving distance, 11th in driving accuracy, 34th in total putting in the 2012 season.
Harris English: 26th in driving distance, 106th in driving accuracy, 75 in total putting in the 2013-14 season.
Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Don’t forget that last November this course was drenched the week before and during the tournament so his length didn’t hurt at all. Neither did a second round 62. English led the field in putts per GIR and was T10 in GIR for the week even though he was only T57 in fairways. Remember, the rough is only 1.5” so that shouldn’t bother these players. Also remember that this is a resort course so there will be plenty of green to hit from said rough. With the Stimpmeter only running at 10.5’ it will be interested to see, if the weather is windy and dry, how fast they get the greens rolling this time around. If they keep the greens slow-ish, the birdies should continue to fall.
In seven events, a playoff has been needed to determine the winner three times with John Huh needing EIGHT extra holes to beat Robert Allenby in 2012.
English looks to become the only player to defend his title this week.
No player has won multiple times on this course.
English holds the tournament record and Roland Thatcher’s 61 in 2008 is the course record.
John Huh is the only rookie to win.
The only rookies in the top 25 last year were Peter Malnati (T15) and Wes Roach (T23).
The last three winners, English, Huh and Wagner won in their first time around El Camaleon so course form is not a necessity this week.
Inside the Ropes
Playing under 7,000 yards El Camaleon defends itself with the natural terrain surrounding the fairways and greens. The course runs through the jungle, mangroves and adjacent to the Caribbean Sea. The players will have to navigate the canals that run through the course and will penalize errant shots from the tee, fairway and the rough.
The 2012 edition was the exception to the rule as El Camaleon has ranked in the easy half of courses used on TOUR since its inception. The winner this week will need to avoid trouble (read: jungle, water) off the tee and hole putts on the receptive greens that measure over 7,000 square feet. The November average winning score in two events is 17-under so birdies, again, will be needed this week to contend. Harris English made only four bogeys and a double on his record-setting run last year.
As with any seaside course, the weather, mainly the wind could be a factor this week so I’ll look at guys who have played resort shore courses well. Waialae, Puerto Rico (paspalum greens), McGladrey and Harbour Town are some places I’ll look for comparison.
The Chalk
Robert Streb: With three top 10s in his last three including his first win on TOUR I’m hardly stretching to list him No. 1 this week. He has two rounds over par this season from 16 and is playing full of confidence. He’s 10th in strokes gained total and ninth in scoring average. More importantly, he’s ranked No. 1 in the all-around category.
Jason Bohn: When course form meets recent form…Bohn torched CCofJ last week to the tune of almost 85% last week and only made five bogeys to finish T2. He was T2 in strokes gained total for the week as well. He’s played eight rounds at Mayakoba. He’s 25-under in his last seven including four of 68 or better last three to finish T3. He’s going to make or break most lineups this week. Fade or follow!
Mark Wilson: The 2009 champion has suddenly found his sea legs on TOUR again. After a disastrous 2014 that saw him hit the WEEKEND just NINE times in 25 events he’s righted the ship as of late. After opening MC, MC to nobody’s surprise, the crafty veteran spit out four rounds in the 60s at McGladrey for T8 and then backed that up last week with T9 at SFC. His last two events have seen him paint GIR and hole putts. Three in a row is a streak, gamers!
Charles Howell III: He has a penchant for hitting it all over the shop off the tee but it goes quite a ways. He also has a penchant for finding GIR from his inaccurate tee shots. This course must fit his eye as he’s finished T38, T20, T13, T16 and T6 in the last five years. Bomb. Gouge. Hole putts. We’ve seen that formula work once or twice and CH3 fits the “veteran” profile that has won five of seven of these events.
Rory Sabbatini: With T5 and T3 providing the sandwich to MC in 2012, Sabbatini should be contending this week if he can handle all of his recent travel. He began the fall in Las Vegas with MC before T22 at McGladrey. He backed that finish up with a T8 in Malaysia the following weekend. He plays hot in bunches and this qualifies. He’s hit over 76% GIR in his first three events so, as usual, his putter will make or break his week.
Ben Martin: After MC in his first event of the year he’s rattled off WIN, T17 and T29 in his next four events. John Huh and Harris English showed the last two years that young folks have no problem winning here and Martin brings solid ball-striking form into the week. With thin fields I’ll always gravitate to the players who have brought recent form to the table.
Chris Stroud: He’s teed it up in all previous seven events so his course knowledge should help again this year. The last three years here he’s finished fourth, T5 and T3 last year. If his current form wasn’t blah, he would easily sit No. 1 on this list. After his T4 at Greenbrier last summer he ran out of gas and has only one top 25 in his last eight events.
David Hearn: He’s three from three this new season and is coming off T7 at McGladrey and T14 last week at SFC. His last round here in 2012 he fired 66 to close. His steady putter should gobble up feet of putts this week on resort greens.
Brian Stuard: He has played this event twice. His worst finish is T2. His other finish was second. He’s an expert seaside, resort course player evidences by his high finishes in Puerto Rico and Waialae. His problem this year has been the second round blues (78, 75, 74 and 72) that have led to three MCs before his T13 in Malaysia his last time out. His 67 to open and 68 to close shows his form is coming around as well.
Fabian Gomez: Fantasy golf should be a meritocracy, not a popularity contest. Gomez has played two events this season and has posted eight rounds under par as he was T8 at The McGladrey and T14 last week at SFC. Strike while the iron is hot but remember he’s never posted two top 10s in a season let alone in back-to-back events.
Justin Thomas: His T4 last week will be just the shot in the arm he is looking for to get his TOUR career started. His pedigree shows that he’s capable of getting hot and staying hot and he didn’t seem to have a problem navigating a new course last week in Mississippi. High risk but even higher reward.
Form/Horses-for-Courses
Hudson Swafford: He hit it all over the shop last week only because I had him in OAD. DON’T FORGET THAT! You can pry him from my cold, dead fingers. He was 31-under in his previous three events before his MC last week so I’m hopping right back on.
Tony Finau: With three of his first four starts in the big leagues T14 or better I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt this week after MC at SFC. He’s shown he can make plenty of birdies and find GIR from anywhere. In a field like this he’s worth the risk on a tight track.
Russell Knox: Just like everywhere else he has finishes of T30 and T31 in the last two years.
Cameron Tringale: No love in Mexico but does have T26 and T22 to show in three events this season. He’s similar to Ben Martin as he’s solid all through the bag minus big distance off the tee which isn’t needed this week.
Billy Hurley III: He’s coming off a tourney where he hit 82% GIR and 82% fairways in Malaysia his last time out. Ride the hot hand!
John Huh: Nothing worse than 71 in two trips that have resulted in a win and T23 last year. Half of those rounds have been 68 or less including his magnificent closing 63 to force a playoff in 2012.
Erik Compton: In a thin field I have no problem going with one of the best putters around. He’s made the cut here in all three tries so he should have these greens on lock down. Now, just hit them…
Blayne Barber: Okay, I know these guys are burned out after a long Web.com playoff and a quick turnaround to start the new season. I like the fact that he hit 81% and 74% GIR the last two weeks. He closed with 66 at SFC to hit the top 10 last week. #HeatCheck
Freddie Jacobson: He’s 23-under in his last nine rounds here and has finishes of T19 and T12 last year. This is his first start of the new season.
Colt Knost: He likes this layout evidenced by his four weekends that have turned in T36, T60, T39 and T3 his last time here in 2012. Only two of those 16 rounds are over par. He’ll slip in games this week as he’s coming off back-to-back MCs.
William McGirt: He’s four-from-four in this year and enters the week off a solo seventh at SFC where he started Sunday one shot out of the lead. He’s three-for-three at Mayakoba with T19, T26 and T45 the last three years.
J.J. Henry: With four top 23s in five trips that included a solo second in the inaugural year, El Camaleon fits Henry’s eye.
Longshots
Justin Leonard: He showed signs of life with a second round 65 last time out at McGladrey. He flashed ZERO form entering this event last year when he rang up T6. If he hits GIR, look out.
Greg Owen: In his last two trips he’s finished T20 and T16 with half of his rounds 67 or better. He’s coming off T22 last week at SFC.
Nicholas Thompson: He’s make three cuts on the bounce with all finishes inside the top 35.
Spencer Levin: He was right in the guts of it last season before a final round 77 sank his chances. He was 10-under entering Sunday. He’s made four in a row south of the border and was second here (-17) in 2011.
Robert Allenby: He’s teed it up twice, both in the last two years. He lost an epic playoff to John Huh in 2012 and backed that up with T16 last November. All eight rounds are under par as well. He racked up T8 in his first start of the year at Frys.com.
Man with His Own Section
Harris English: The defending champion looks to regain some of his mojo that saw him torch this course last year. He began calendar 2014 in fine form but it all went quiet after T14 at Bay Hill. In his final 15 events of the season he hit the top 25 once, T7 at the Travelers and missed eight cuts. The 2014-15 season has seen him MC in two of his first three events with a T16 at Las Vegas sandwiched in between. I’m interested to see if this track snaps him out of his funk of two top 25s in his last 18 starts on TOUR.
Fades
Kevin Stadler: WD last week with a wrist injury.
Nick Watney: It hasn’t happened outside of his home course and he’s never played Mayakoba.
Carlos Ortiz: I’m not sure how he deals with cameras in his face all of the time. We’ll learn something significant about the Mexican national on his home turf this week.
Carl Pettersson: Check multiple boxes minus course form as he’s never scored in the 60s in six tries here.
Rookie/Up-and-Comer of the Week Last Week
Once called the “Jordan Spieth” of the week, I had to retire that name after his last two seasons on TOUR. Now, we’ll keep a broad view of newer names/faces that gamers should pay attention to as the season moves on. Some former examples in this column include Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Reed and Chesson Hadley.
Frys.com: Jon Curran, T8; Zach Blair, T12; Tony Finau, T12;
Shriners: Tony Finau, T7
McGladrey: Robert Streb, WIN
CIMB: Cameron Smith, T5
SFC: Nick Taylor, WIN; Peter Uihlein, T4; Justin Thomas, T4; Blayne Barber, T9; Carlos Sainz, Jr., T9; Cory Whitsett, T14.
Coming Later TUESDAY Afternoon
Playing the Tips will be up and running this and every Tuesday afternoon and will list all of the Rotoworld experts picks in the GolfChannel.com game, the Yahoo! Fantasy Golf game and my One-and-Done feature. Look for it around 6ET every Tuesday for the rest of the season.
Coming Wednesday
And the analysis doesn't end here. Rotoworld's Rob Bolton and I will be co-hosting a one-hour live chat WEDNESDAY at -- NEW TIME ALERT -- 10:00 a.m. ET. We will be breaking down the field at the OHL Mayakoba Classic and answering your questions. Simply return to the golf home page to join in on the chatter. Don’t forget to follow Rob (http://twitter.com/RobBoltonGolf) and Glass (http://twitter.com/GlassWGCL) on Twitter.
