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International Players Include Mexico's Top Mexican Open Finisher
Seven Major Championship Winners Now in the Field
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico - The field for this year's edition of the Mayakoba Golf Classic will once again produce an interesting mix of competitors as the PGA TOUR focuses on the Cancún and Riviera Maya regions February 20-24 at El Camaleón Golf Club at Mayakoba.
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To date, the field contains winners of major championships and champions on the PGA TOUR, European Tour, Nationwide Tour, Champions Tour, Japanese Tour, collegiate stars and former amateur stars.
Some players who have had recent success are also headed to the Mayakoba Golf Classic. 2008 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, Champion D.J. Trahan joins Kevin Na, who has two top-five finishes so far this year. Reigning U.S. Amateur champion Colt Knost along with young Australian Jason Day, who finished sixth at AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Also, Ryuji Imada, a young player from Japan, who finished second to Tiger Woods at the Buick Invitational a few weeks back, will compete.
The colorful Swedish star Jesper Parnevik, a five-time TOUR winner and three-time Ryder Cup participant, will return. He finished tied for 35th a year ago.
Other international players currently in will be Jose de Jesus Rodriguez, who finished tied for 7th in the Nationwide Tour's Mexico Open accepting an invitation to play along with Mexicali's Esteban Toledo. Argentina's Jose Coceres, runner-up to champion Fred Funk a year ago, will return and headlines a list of European and Latin American players such as Carlos Franco, Alvaro Quiros, Pablo Martin, Alejandro Canizares, Santiago Luna and Gonzalo Fernandez Castano.
Major championship winners include John Daly, Lee Janzen, Shaun Micheel, Greg Norman, Nick Price, Corey Pavin and Bob Tway. Through the years, this group has accumulated twelve major championship titles.
Funk was crowned the tournament's inaugural champion a year ago when he defeated Coceres in a playoff on the second extra hole. Funk, who captured the Champions Tour's first event of the 2008 season, is scheduled to defend his title.
It is important to note that 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 +52 (984) 873-4916 in México. Local residents can purchase tickets at area golf pro shops within the Cancún 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.
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