A Greg Norman Production Company Event
Mayakoba Golf ClassicAn Official PGA TOUR Event
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El Camaleón Golf Club|Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, México
Mayakoba Golf Classic’s Open Qualifier Accepting Applications

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, México — As the PGA TOUR prepares to return to Mexico for another edition of the Mayakoba Golf Classic, enrollment for the Open Qualifying Tournament is now underway.

Four spots in the field of 132 players will be up for grabs when the Open Qualifying Tournament is conducted Monday, February 18, 2008 at the Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club in Playa del Carmen.

Interested competitors can visit www.cancungolf.org to apply for the qualifier. The competition is conducted by Mexican Caribbean Golf Courses Association.

A year ago, Stuart Deane, Efren Serna Espinoza, Tom Kalinowski and Alejandro Quiroz became the first open qualifiers in tournament history during the inaugural year of PGA TOUR competition in Mexico. Serna Espinoza and Quiroz were two of four Mexicans to play in the Mayakoba Golf Classic. Serna Espinoza came from Leon-Guanajuato, Mexico and Quiroz from Huixquilican, Mexico.

Fred Funk was crowned the tournament’s inaugural champion when he defeated Jose Coceres in a playoff on the second extra hole. Funk, who captured the Champion’s Tour first event of the 2008 season last week, is scheduled to defend his title.

Other former winners on the PGA TOUR, who are scheduled to compete, are Hall of Fame members Greg Norman and Nick Price along with major championship winners John Daly, Jeff Sluman, Bob Tway and Shaun Micheel. Bubba Watson, the TOUR’s Driving Distance leader the past two years, will also compete.

It is important to note that players (top 64 in the World Golf Rankings) may still qualify for the World Golf Championships - 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 132-player field coming to Mexico for the four-round $3.5 million USD stroke-play competition.

Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased by visiting the tournament website www.mayakobagolfclassic.com or by calling 011 52 (984) 873-4916 in Mexico or 888-66-SHARK in the U.S. Local residents can purchase tickets at area golf pro shops within the Cancun and Riviera Maya region.

For more information on the Mayakoba Golf Classic please contact the tournament office at Mayakoba at 011 52 (984) 873-4916 or visit www.mayakobagolfclassic.com.

 

About Mayakoba

Mayakoba is situated just south of Cancún on México's prized Caribbean coast - the Riviera Maya. A mere 40-minute drive from the towering hotels of Cancún visitors will discover a completely different experience. Here, nestled in a lush natural paradise, lies Mayakoba, a truly unique resort destination. Mayakoba is comprised of five luxury hotels, each featuring a range of culinary and spa experiences. An 18 hole Greg Norman championship golf course, El Camaleón, managed by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, offers players an ever-changing terrain that moves gracefully from mangroves to the sea. Created to harmonize with the unspoiled tropical forest, Mayakoba is connected with a series of lagoons enabling guests to wander effortlessly from place to place through the resort using the "lanchas" (covered boats) as well as a network of trails. Mayakoba, a luxury destination like no other where you are immersed in unspoiled natural beauty and the mysteries of an ancient civilization.
About OHL
Based in Madrid, OHL has 12,926 employees and an impressive average yearly growth rate of 16.6% since 2002. In 2006, its net sales amounted to 3.3 billion Euros. At the same time, OHL is strongly committed to environmental responsibility and in 2003 produced its first Sustainable Development Report. As Juan-Miguel Villar Mir, the chairman of the board of directors and the author of the report, noted, mindful attention to the long-term health of the environment creates a "virtuous circle" that benefits the company, its clients and the globe. OHL's ecological diligence has served it well in México, where strong government regulations are enforced to protect the environment. A presence in México since 1980, OHL employs 800 people there and has built highways, bridges, hotels and hospitals. The tourism complex at Mayakoba, which will eventually include two or three golf courses and six luxury hotels, is OHL's most ambitious hospitality project to date.
About Greg Norman Production Company
The Greg Norman Production Company (GNPC), a subsidiary of Great White Shark Enterprises, is devoted to event management and sports marketing. In addition to the PGA TOUR's Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancún, the GNPC operates the PGA TOUR-sanctioned Merrill Lynch Shootout. The GNPC prides itself on producing events and marketing initiatives that not only reflect the discerning standards of its namesake, but of its clients as well. Through its myriad relationships within golf, media and event industries, the GNPC is fully capable of providing its clients with a wide spectrum of services that will seamlessly build brand equity and generate a unique marketing and or hospitality medium.
About El Camaleón Golf Club
El Camaleón Golf Course at the Mayakoba resort is Greg Norman's latest masterwork. The 7,039-yard layout is unique - not just to México but to the entire world of golf. The course bends through three distinct landscapes--mangrove jungles, limestone canals and stunning, oceanfront stretches of sand. El Camaleón incorporates a cenote, a massive underground cavern, into the heart of the opening fairway. The handsome, Mayan influenced clubhouse that rises above the 18th green will feature a fine dining room with stunning views over the course. The adjoining practice facility and driving range are of international caliber. With Mayakoba's unique system of lagoons, golfers will be able to step out of their rooms and into a boat, which will ferry them directly to the first tee. El Camaleón Golf Course is managed by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.
About Golf PARa Todos
Golf FORE Everyone aims to create a fun-filled, diverse and educational program that teaches about the game of golf and its ideals. The program encourages active participation in the game as a participant and as a fan, and facilitates the integration of golf into the lives of all those within the community. Golf PARa Todos is a community program presented and created by the Mayakoba Golf Classic.

The inaugural installment of Golf PARa Todos was held in October 2007 at El Camaleón Golf Club in Playa del Carmen. A monthly program, Golf PARa Todos is open to people of all ages, backgrounds and levels of golf skill or knowledge. For more information, visit www.GolfParaTodos.org.

Media Contacts
The Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancún is dedicated to assisting the media in covering this historic event. For more information on press releases, press conferences or attending the event, please contact the Mayakoba Golf Classic's media directors: Lee Patterson (USA) or Elisa Gaudet (Mexico and Latin America).

Lee Patterson
Media Director
Greg Norman Production Company
(704) 553-4790

Elisa Gaudet
Founder, Executive Golf International
Latin America Media Director
NYC office: (646) 678-5747

Schedule of Events

Wed

Pro-Am Competition

Thu

First Round*

Fri

Second Round*

Sat

Third Round*

Sun

Final Round*

*Broadcast: GOLF CHANNEL

full tournament schedule

El Camaleón Golf Club

El Camaleón is aptly named for its diverse layout and ever-changing landscape, which bends through tropical jungles, dense mangroves and oceanfront stretches.

about el camaleón
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Copyright ©2008. All rights reserved. Mayakoba Golf Classic is a Greg Norman Production Company event.