A Greg Norman Production Company Event
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Mayakoba Golf ClassicPGA TOUR FedExCup
El Camaleón Golf Club|Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, México
Durant Leads Mayakoba Golf Classic After Opening Round

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, México — Joe Durant birdied five of the final eight holes for a 7-under 64 and a one-stroke lead Thursday in the Mayakoba Golf Classic.

Durant played the front nine in 2 under, then birdied Nos. 11-13 and 16-17 for a back-nine 30.

The 45-year-old Durant, a four-time TOUR winner, played the front nine in 2 under, then birdied Nos. 11-13 and 16-17 for a back-nine 30 on the Mayakoba Resort's Greg Norman-designed El Camaleón course.

"I would much rather have a good start than go in the opposite direction, that's for sure," Durant said. "I just felt comfortable out there today. Obviously, we have a long way to go, but having a good first round can set a nice tone for you the rest of the week. I just need to keep doing the same things and keep myself in the hunt."

Cameron Beckman, Briny Baird, Jarrod Lyle and J.P. Hayes opened with 65s, and Tom Pernice Jr., Jason Gore, Jeff Maggert and Thomas Levet shot 66s.

John Daly had a 68, and David Duval--second last week at Pebble Beach--and defending champion Mark Wilson shot 71s.

Durant tied for 12th in the 2008 tournament and tied for 28th last year.

"I do like the course and it does set up nicely for my game," Durant said. "We all have courses that better suit our playing style and this probably is one of those for me. I certainly would like to improve on my past finishes and go a little higher."

Lyle tied for sixth last year, the Australian's best career PGA TOUR finish.

John Daly posted a solid first-round score of 3-under-par 68. He is tied for 23rd.

"I guess it's the kind of course that suits me pretty well," Lyle said. "It's windy and I've grown up in wind. And I drive it pretty straight, so it's the kind of golf course if you don't drive it straight you're going to find a lot of trouble."

Hayes is coming off a fifth-place tie last week at Pebble Beach.

"I've been playing very well since actually last August," Hayes said. "I've had just a lot of good, solid rounds. I feel very confident in what I'm doing. Had a lot of good rounds this year. Just having fun."

Jose Trauwitz topped the four Mexican players in the field with a 72.

Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased by visiting the tournament Web site www.MayakobaGolfClassic.com or by calling +52 (984) 877-2380 in Mexico. Local residents can purchase tickets at the Mayakoba Golf Classic tournament office located adjacent to the El Camaleón clubhouse.

For more information on the Mayakoba Golf Classic please contact the tournament office at Mayakoba at +52 (984) 877-2380 or visit www.MayakobaGolfClassic.com.

 

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:

Veronica Muller
Media Director - Latin America
Mayakoba Golf Classic
+52 (998) 185-1585

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

About The Mayakoba Golf Classic

The Mayakoba Golf Classic made golf history when it became the first PGA TOUR event to ever be contested outside of the United States and Canada in February 2007. Today, the Mayakoba Golf Classic remains “Mexico’s Only PGA TOUR Event” as it prepares to enter its sixth year. The event is regarded as one of the finest on the PGA TOUR by players, their families, sponsors and the TOUR itself. With a purse of $3.7 million USD, the Mayakoba Golf Classic boasts the largest amount of prize money of any golf tournament in Latin America. Held annually in February, the tournament features 132 professional golfers participating in four rounds of stroke play competition at the Greg Norman-designed El Camaleón Golf Club at Mayakoba in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, in the Riviera Maya-Cancún regions of Mexico. Johnson Wagner, a five-year veteran of the PGA TOUR, claimed the title in 2011, winning $666,000 USD. Other past champions include: Fred Funk (2007), Brian Gay (2008), Mark Wilson (2009) and Cameron Beckman (2010).

About Mayakoba

Mayakoba is situated just south of Cancun on Mexico’s prized Caribbean coast – the Riviera Maya.  A mere 40-minute drive from the towering hotels of Cancun, 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 three 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 over 23,000 employees and an impressive average yearly growth rate of 20% since 2002. In the third quarter of 2010, its net sales amounted to over 3,4 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 over 3,400 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, the GNPC operates the PGA TOUR-sanctioned Franklin Templeton 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 Club at the Mayakoba resort is yet another of Greg Norman’s masterworks. The 7,039-yard layout is unique - not just to Mexico 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 rises above the 18th green and features 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 is managed by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.
About Golf PARa Todos
Golf PARa Todos 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. In January 2011, the event earned a place in the Guinness World Records by hosting the world’s largest ever golf lesson. The lesson featured 1,073 participants. The inaugural installment of Golf PARa Todos was held in October 2007 at El Camaleón Golf Club in Playa del Carmen. On average, 600 people currently attend each session. 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.

    Golf PARa Todos aims to create a fun-filled, diverse and educational program that teaches about the game of golf and its ideals.
    GolfPARaTodos.org

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