| First-Round Notebook |
|
By Joel Schuchmann
PGA TOUR Staff
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, México - First-round leader John Merrick tied his career low on the PGA TOUR with a 6-under-par 64 on Thursday. Merrick shot an identical 64 last year in the first round at the Mayakoba Golf Classic en route to a tie for 48th finish.
He also posted a 64 in the second round at the 2007 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, but missed the cut. Last year's first-round leader and eventual champion Fred Funk shot an opening 8-under-par 62.
In his rookie season in 2007, John Merrick finished 135th on the PGA TOUR money list but regained his status through the PGA TOUR Qualifying School, where he tied for 23rd. Merrick's best finish on TOUR was a tie for fourth at the 2007 Reno-Tahoe Open, and his best finish thus far in 2008 was a tie for 16th at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.
John Merrick's bogey-free 6-under-par 64 was one of eight rounds that were bogey-free on Thursday. The others came from Larry Mize, Robert Damron, Cameron Beckman, Craig Kanada, Parker McLachlin, Martin Laird, Ron Whittaker.
Australian rookie David Lutterus is off to a strong start, posting a 5-under-par 65. He sits tied for second after missing the cut in his first two starts as a PGA TOUR member at the Sony Open in Hawaii and AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
Former Masters champion Larry Mize, who is eligible for the Champions Tour when he turns 50 in September, posted a 5-under-par 65 and sits tied for second through 18 holes. Last year he finished tied for ninth at the Mayakoba event.
Last year's runner-up Jose Coceres finished at 3-under-par 67. Last year, Coceres followed up his playoff loss to Fred Funk with a loss to Mark Wilson in a four-way playoff at The Honda Classic.
John Daly's 4-under-par 66 was his best round since a second-round 63 at the 2007 Frys.com Open.
Greg 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.
A look at the 132-player field finds 178 PGA TOUR victories and 13 major championships (Greg Norman, Nick Price, Bob Tway, Lee Janzen, John Daly, Shaun Micheel, Larry Mize, Mark Brooks).
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
| 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. |
|
|
|
|
