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By Art Stricklin
PGATOUR.com Contributor
RIVIERA MAYA, México -- The PGA TOUR heads south of the border this week the Mayakoba Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancún, its first-ever, full-field event in México.
The tournament is a tribute to the growing Mexican golf market on the Caribbean and the desire for locals and visitors to see some of the world's best golfers up close and personal.
The $3.5 million event is being held at the newly opened Greg Norman-designed El Camaleón Golf Club. All four rounds of the official TOUR event will be televised by the Golf Channel, with the winner taking home a $630,000 first place check.
Rarely has a course echoed its name more correctly than the El Camaleón, which loosely translated means The Chameleon. The Norman layout, which stretches 7,069 yards from the back tees, offers three distinct looks for the amateurs who play this course 51 weeks of the year and the PGA TOUR pros who make their first stop this week.
 | | Many holes at El Camaleón feature rivers snaking through fairways, forcing the most accurate of drives. |
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A third of the par-72 Norman course offers wide open fairways with palm trees swaying in the background while another third is carved directly from the surrounding jungle with thick Mangold trees and vegetation to snatch any wayward drives.
The final section features rivers snaking through the fairways, forcing the most accurate of drives. There are two holes with thrilling ocean views, Nos. 7 and 15, where the pounding surf makes it hard for all but the most serious golfer to concentrate.
El Camaleón may be one of Norman's most complete courses. From the par-5 first, which features a small, uncovered cave in the middle of the fairway, to the par-3 10th with natural rock caverns on the right to No. 18, which has jungle along the right side, this is a pleasant golfing experience.
TOUR players are likely to see a much tougher challenge than the amateurs, though, with tightened fairways, slick putting greens and steady ocean tradewinds.
"This is the best time of the year to host a golf tournament here because of the calmer weather, the warm winter temperatures and the condition of the course," said El Camaleón Mayakoba Director of Golf Doug Goubault. "With the breeze and the three distinct types of landforms we have here, we can have a pretty difficult golf course."
It will be only the second Norman course to be used for an official PGA TOUR event. The TPC Sugarloaf is the site of the AT&T Classic outside of Atlanta in May. His Tiburon Golf Course in Naples, Florida, also host the Merrill Lynch Shootout in the fall.
"Anybody can build the hardest golf course in the world or the most boring golf course, that isn't a big deal," Norman said. "But to finish a golf course and remember each shot, that's what design is all about."
Goubault said Norman's first reaction when he saw the virgin terrain in the midst of the thick Riviera Maya jungle was, 'how are we going to do this?' but he was very pleased with the final result.
The course is now a member of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary for its unique design and location. One interesting feature is the number of man-made river channels that were cut through parts of the course. Players and others who stay at the nearby Fairmont resort can take a water taxi from the lobby to their room.
"I'm thrilled that it will be showcased to the world as the first-ever PGA TOUR event in México," Norman said. "With the three distinct landscapes and a commitment to preserving the delicate ecosystem of the Yucatan, I think it will be an enjoyable week for the fans and a good test of golf for the competitors."
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