| Merrick Quietly Takes Lead At Mayakoba Golf Classic |
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By Joel Schuchmann
PGA TOUR Staff
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, México - While Greg Norman and John Daly were garnering more attention for their first-round performances at the PGA TOUR's Mayakoba Golf Classic, John Merrick quietly took the lead by one shot over three players.
 | | John Merrick opened his first round at Mayakoba the same way he did last year, with a 64. |
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The TOUR's lone venture into México, conducted at El Camaleón Golf Club at Mayakoba in Playa del Carmen, was to Merrick's liking as he opened with a 6-under-par 64, matching his career low on the PGA TOUR. Trailing by one are Kenneth Ferrie, Robert Damron, David Lutterus and former Masters champion Larry Mize, who turns 50 in September.
In the afternoon, the two-time major champion Daly was 5-under-par at one point and finished with a 66, while El Camaleón course architect Norman was 4-under-par through 10 holes before a double-bogey on the par-3 seventh hole derailed his round. He finished at even-par 70.
Last year, as a rookie, Merrick opened with a 64 at the Mayakoba Golf Classic as well but fell off on the weekend, finishing tied for 48th.
"I felt like today was more of a solid round," Merrick said in comparing the two rounds of 64. "Last year was not a lucky round, but there are rounds where you get really good breaks, and you make a lot of long putts and you may chip in a couple of times. It's a goofy game."
The bonus for the week is that Merrick's fiancee Jody has accompanied him on the trip, with the couple balancing business and pleasure nicely thus far.
"We went out to the beach the last couple of days, had some margaritas," he said. "Maybe I'm just more relaxed down here or something, but I'm having a great time."
After falling out of the top 125 on the money list as a rookie last year, Merrick regained his TOUR card with a T23 finish at the PGA TOUR Qualifying School. In 2008, Merrick's best finish in four starts has been a tie for 16th at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.
"It's just the experience of being out here every week," he said. "Last year, I didn't know what to expect. I've been working with my coach on staying positive because each week brings an opportunity."
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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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| Golf PARa Todos aims to create a fun-filled, diverse and educational program that teaches about the game of golf and its ideals. |
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