| Third Round Notebook |
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Courtesy of John Bush
PGA TOUR Staff
- Joe Durant, a 45-year-old native of Pensacola, Fla., hung on to the lead for the third straight day at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, moving to 14-under 199 and two shots ahead of Charles Warren (65) and J.P. Hayes (69). Chad Collins (67) and Cameron Beckman (69) are three back. Durant is seeking his fifth TOUR win in 366 starts (1998 Motorola Western Open, 2001 Bob Hope Classic, 2001 Genuity Championship, 2006 Children's Miracle Network Classic).
- Durant carded a rollercoaster 2-under 69 on Saturday. He immediately built a four-stroke lead with birdies on the first two holes, but then had a double-bogey on the par-4 third hole and a bogey on the par-4 fourth to open the door for several of his closest competitors. He later added birdies on Nos. 8, 9, 17 and 18 and a bogey on No. 14 to end the day with a 69.
- This is the third time Joe Durant has entered the final round with at least a share of the lead: 2001 Bob Hope Classic (Won) and the 2001 Shell Houston Open (T2).
- John Daly (68-69-69) has strung together three sub-70 rounds on TOUR for the first time since a first-round 69 at the 2006 Frys.com Open (withdrew before second round) and the opening rounds of the 2007 Sony Open in Hawaii (69-68).
- Daly, making his 432nd start on the PGA TOUR, will enter the final round seeking just his fourth 72-hole TOUR event with all four rounds in the 60s:
- 1991 Chattanooga Classic 65-66-67-66 T3
- 1992 B.C. Open 67-66-67-66 Won
- 2005 WGC-American Express 67-67-67-69 P2
- Durant is seeking to become the first wire-to-wire winner this season and in the four-year history of the Mayakoba Golf Classic. Ryan Palmer (Sony Open in Hawaii) and Dustin Johnson (AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am) led after each round in their respective wins this year, but shared the lead at least one day en route to victory in those events.
- Durant is making just his second start of the season (T48 at Bob Hope Classic) and his third at the Mayakoba Golf Classic (T12 in 2008 and T28 in 2009).
- The round of the day was turned in by Charles Warren with a 6-under 65, jumping seven spots to T2. He is making his first start of the season after finishing No. 147 on the 2009 official money list. Warren's only other appearance at the Mayakoba Golf Classic was a missed cut in 2009 after rounds of 72-72.
- The 54-hole leader/co-leader has gone on to win three of six events on TOUR in 2010: Ryan Palmer (Sony Open), Steve Stricker (Northern Trust Open) and Dustin Johnson (AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am). The 54-hole leader/co-leader at the Mayakoba Golf Classic has won all three times (Fred Funk in 2007, Brian Gay in 2008 and Mark Wilson in 2009).
- Spanish leaderboard: Alejandro Canizares (69-69-73 -- 211/T58), Santiago Luna (71-70-68 -- 209/T40).
- The par-4 12th hole played the most difficult on Saturday at 4.333. The par-5 eighth hole played the easiest at 4.387.
| Scoring Averages at the par-71 El Camaleón Golf Club |
| Round | Front 9 | Back 9 | Total | Cumulative |
| Thursday | 35.331 | 35.315 | 70.646 | 70.646 |
| Friday | 35.539 | 35.172 | 70.711 | 70.678 |
| Friday | 35.160 | 35.173 | 70.333 | 70.601 |
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| 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
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Lee Patterson
Media Director
Greg Norman Production Company
(704) 553-4790
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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.
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| Congratulations to "Psicólogo-terapeuta, maestro y amigo... caddie" for becoming the winner of the 2012 Fotogolf contest presented by the Mayakoba Golf Classic in conjunction with IN Riviera Maya magazine. |
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| Wed | Pro-Am Competition |
| Thu | First Round* |
| Fri | Second Round* |
| Sat | Third Round* |
| Sun | Final Round* |
| *Broadcast: GOLF CHANNEL |
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