| Mayakoba Golf Classic: First-Round Notebook |
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By Joel Schuchmann
Courtesy of PGATOUR.com
PLAYA DEL CARMEN - First-round leader Fred Funk (8-under-par 62) is looking to join Craig Stadler as just the second player to capture a PGA TOUR event after winning on the Champions Tour. Stadler won the Ford Senior Players Championship in 2003, and the B.C. Open the following week.
After earning a Champions Tour victory in his rookie season last year, Funk rolled to a record 11-stroke victory at the Turtle Bay Championship in January, where he led wire-to-wire and played bogey-free golf over the three days. The 11-stroke margin erased the previous mark of nine strokes by three players, the most recent being Dave Stockton at the 1993 Franklin Quest Championship.
 | The 8-under 62 by Fred Funk was one off his career l8-hole total on the PGA TOUR -- a second-round 61 (11-under) at the 1999 B.C. Open. |
| Funk's 62 is considered the course record for the El Camaleón Golf Club for PGA TOUR purposes. The 62 was also one off the low 18 total on the PGA TOUR this season, an 11-under-par 61 by Brandt Snedeker (North Course) in the first round of the Buick Invitational. |
| The field played one player short this week (143 players) at Kelly Gibson withdrew prior to his round without an alternate on site. Lon Hinkle withdrew after nine holes after posting a 9-over-par 44 on his first nine (Nos. 10-18). |
| George McNeill, who was the medalist at the PGA TOUR Qualfying School, posted a most unusual 6-under-par 64 on Thursday. McNeill had eight birdies and an eagle (No. 13) along with a triple bogey (No. 1, his 10th hole) and two bogeys. McNeill is a former Florida State All-America that spent last year as an assistant professional at Forest Country Club in Fort Myers, Fla. |
| Hole No. 8 played most difficult, at 4.542, on Thursday. The hole yielded only four birdies on the day against 44 bogeys, 17 double bogeys and 1 triple bogey. The overall scoring average on the day was 70.317. |
| On the day, 55 of the 142 players that posted scores broke 70. Almost half the field (72 of 142) finished at par or better. |
| The field includes eight major champions who have combined for nine major titles: Mark Calcavecchia (1989 British Open), Steve Elkington (1995 PGA Championship), Steve Jones (1996 U.S. Open), Bob Tway (1986 PGA Championship), Jeff Sluman (1988 PGA Championship), Mark Brooks (1996 PGA Championship), Larry Mize (1987 Masters) and Lee Janzen (1993 and 1998 U.S. Open). |
| Three rookies in the field rank are among the top 50 in the FedExCup standings through seven events. They are No. 18 Brandt Snedeker, No. 29 Andrew Buckle and No. 39 Doug LaBelle II. |
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About Mayakoba |
| Mayakoba is situated just south of Cancún on México's prized Caribbean coast - the Riviera Maya. A mere 40-minute drive from the towering hotels of Cancún 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 five 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 12,926 employees and an impressive average yearly growth rate of 16.6% since 2002. In 2006, its net sales amounted to 3.3 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 800 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 at Riviera Maya-Cancún, the GNPC operates the PGA TOUR-sanctioned Merrill Lynch 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 Course at the Mayakoba resort is Greg Norman's latest masterwork. The 7,039-yard layout is unique - not just to México 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 that rises above the 18th green will feature a fine dining room with 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 Golf Course is managed by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. |
| About Golf PARa Todos |
| Golf FORE Everyone 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.
The inaugural installment of Golf PARa Todos was held in October 2007 at El Camaleón Golf Club in Playa del Carmen. 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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| 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: Lee Patterson (USA) or Elisa Gaudet (Mexico and Latin America).
Lee Patterson
Media Director
Greg Norman Production Company
(704) 553-4790
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Elisa Gaudet
Founder, Executive Golf International
Latin America Media Director
NYC office: (646) 678-5747
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Schedule of Events |
Wed | Pro-Am Competition |
Thu | First Round* |
Fri | Second Round* |
Sat | Third Round* |
Sun | Final Round* |
*Broadcast: GOLF CHANNEL |
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El Camaleón Golf Club |
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El Camaleón is aptly named for its diverse layout and ever-changing landscape, which bends through tropical jungles, dense mangroves and oceanfront stretches. |
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