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PLAYA DEL CARMEN, México -- Two Latin American professionals of high esteem and a Spanish collegiate sensation have joined the field for the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya - Cancún February 19-25 at the Mayakoba resort in Playa del Carmen, México.
PGA TOUR veteran Esteban Toledo, a native of Mexicali, México, Paraguay's Carlos Franco and Spain's Pablo Martin have all accepted invitations to participate in México's first PGA TOUR event.
Toledo has played on the TOUR since 1994 and has represented México in five World Golf Championships World Cup events. His best performances on the PGA TOUR are a pair of second place finishes at the 2000 B.C. Open and 2002 Buick Open, where he battled head-to-head with eventual champion Tiger Woods.
Toledo's career victories include the 2000 Mexican Open and the 2005 Lake Erie Charity Classic on the Nationwide Tour.
 | | Toledo has played on the TOUR since 1994 and has represented México in five World Golf Championships World Cup events. |
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"Esteban is one of the really great people who are associated with the game of golf," expressed Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancún Tournament Director Larson Segerdahl. "He has done a tremendous amount for charity on his own and is respected by his fellow competitors."
Franco has won four times on the PGA TOUR since 1997. With his 1999 victory in New Orleans, he became the first South American to win a TOUR event since Roberto de Vicenzo won in Houston in 1968. Franco went on to win in Milwaukee several months later, again won in New Orleans in 2000 and captured another title in Milwaukee in 2004. He has been an International team member on two Presidents Cups, represented Paraguay in the World Cup and was voted TOUR rookie of the year in 1999.
"Carlos is another player who has an outstanding career record and is considered one of the best Latin American players to ever play the game," Segerdahl continued. "He also has a wonderful personality and brings an upbeat attitude to any event he plays."
Martin, an All-American at Oklahoma State, will play as an amateur in the championship. The junior from Malaga, Spain was named the top collegiate player in the U.S. last year by winning the Jack Nicklaus and Fred Haskins Awards.
"It is really exciting to have the opportunity to test my game against some of golf's best in such a unique place as Mayakoba," Martin said.
Earlier the tournament offered an exemption to Mexican Open Champion Fabrizio Zanotti. Zanotti, a 23-year-old from Paraguay was 9-under-par in the 72-hole championship and won by one shot.
It is important to note that players (top 64 World Golf Rankings) may still qualify for the World Golf Championship Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson, AZ scheduled the same week as the Mayakoba Golf Classic. Also, players have until Friday before the Mayakoba Golf Classic to express their intentions to compete in the 144-player field coming to México for the four-round $3.5 million USD stroke-play competition.
Also included in the field will be four open qualifiers through an Open Qualifying Tournament to be held at the Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club in Playa del Carmen on Monday, February 19, 2007.
For more information, please visit www.cancungolf.org.
As part of the 2007 PGA TOUR FedExCup schedule, the Mayakoba Golf Classic will be the eighth event of this dynamic new points system. For more information on the FedExCup point system, please visit www.pgatour.com/fedexcup/overview.
For more information on the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun or any other media inquiries, please contact Media Director Lee Patterson at pattersonprinc@yahoo.com or (704) 553-4790. For all other tournament-related questions please contact the tournament office at Mayakoba at 011 52 (984) 873-4916 or visit www.mayakobagolfclassic.com. Tickets are now available and can be purchased by visiting the tournament website, calling 011 52 (984)-873-4916 in México or calling 888-66-SHARK in the U.S.
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