World Wide Technology Championship 2024 Preview, Picks & Analysis

After a week off, the PGA Tour returns with the World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico, the first of a run of three tournaments that will bring down the curtain on another season and decide exactly who gets to play in next year’s Signature Events.

With so much money now sloshing around in the coffers, there is a huge incentive to keep going until the bitter end. For some, it is about ensuring they finish 2024 in the top 125 in the FedEx standings while for others it is about attempting to join the elite.

It has to be said that the field this week is not especially strong.

It is good to see Nico Echavarria in the field. Fresh from his success at the ZOZO Championship in Japan, he could easily have decided to put his feet up. Instead, he will be looking to capitalise on that form this week with another win.

Cameron Young continues his search for his first PGA Tour victory and must be growing increasingly frustrated as his inability to finish the job. He has had plenty of opportunities in a season filled with highs and lows. Young’s powerful ball striking should be well-suited to El Cardonal’s wide fairways.

Towards the end of May 2021, he won back-to-back tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour. He finished the season 19th on the regular-season points list, earning a PGA Tour card for the 2021-22 season.

In February 2022, Young tied for second at the Genesis Invitational and rose into the top 100 of the world rankings. In May 2022, he tied for third at the PGA Championship and then led The Open after the first round with a bogey-free round of 64 (8 under par); in the final round, he eagled the last hole to finish one stroke behind the winner, Cameron Smith. In September 2022, he was selected for the U.S. team in the Presidents Cup and was then named rookie of the year.

In March 2023, Young changed his caddie, employing Paul Tesori, who had worked with Webb Simpson. In their first tournament together, Young was runner-up in the WGC-Dell Technologies Matchplay, losing 6&5 to Sam Burns in the final.  The following month he finished in a tie for seventh at the The Masters.

In the third round of the 2024 Travelers Championship, Young shot a 59, but that win still eludes him. He has played in 73 PGA Tour events, making 59 cuts, with seven runner-up finishes, two thirds and 10 top fives.

J.J. Spaun has quietly become one of the most consistent players on the PGA Tour in the past couple of years. He is a player who tends to fly under the radar but will fancy his chances in Mexico.

Among those who are desperate for a big performance in Mexico are Alejandro Tosti and Daniel Berger. 

Tosti is one of the biggest hitters on tour but languishes in 128th place in the FedEx standings while Berger’s winner’s exemption ends this year. He is currently in 129th place.

Last year’s tournament was won in emotional circumstances by South Africa’s Erik van Rooyen.

Van Rooyen holed from 15 feet for an eagle on the 18th to complete a back nine of 28 at El Cardonal, the first course designed by 15-time major winner Tiger Woods to host a PGA Tour event. A closing 63, which had started with a bogey on the first, gave van Rooyen a winning total of 27-under par, two shots clear of Camilo Villegas and Matt Kuchar.

And Van Rooyen fought back tears in his post-round interview as he dedicated his victory to former college team-mate Jon Trasamar, who was suffering from terminal cancer. He said: "I was calm because there is bigger stuff in life than golf. "If you look at my ball there's music notes on there and the initials JT and it's for Jon Trasamar, our best friend who's got melanoma and he's not going to make it. Every shot out there today was for him.

"When you're playing for something bigger than winning some silly trophy it puts it into perspective. At the end of the day, whether I won here or I lost here it really did not matter. We love him so much and I'm still sort of in disbelief what he's going through and I wish I could take all his pain away. We're flying up to Minnesota tomorrow to go and see him on Tuesday morning and I'll give him a high-five then."

Tournament Winners:

It was won in 2015 by Graeme McDowell, in 2016 by Pat Perez, in 2017 Patton Kizzire, in 2018 by Matt Kuchar, in 2019 by Brendon Todd, in 2020 and 2021 by Viktor Hovland, in 2022 by Russell Henley and last year by Erik Van Rooyen.

The Course:

Designed by Tiger Woods, El Cardonal offers dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean. The fairways are pretty generous but if you miss them you can forget about making pars. There are plenty of trees and deep, well-placed bunkers to be avoided. It is a par 72 measuring 7,233 yards.

Form Guide:

Nico Echavarria played quite superbly to hold off a world-class field in Japan. He is a hugely underrated golfer and could go close again this week.

Prize Money:

The total prize fund is $7.2m, with the winner collecting $1.3m and 500 FedEx Cup points.

How to Watch:

Thursday, November 7-Sunday, November 10, Sky Sports Golf, 7pm.

To Win:

Nico Echavarria. Full of confidence

Each Way:

Keith Mitchell. Brilliant ball striker

Each Way:

Erik van Rooyen. Emotional return

Five to Follow:

Nico Echavarria. Has it all

Keith Mitchell. All about his putting

Erik van Rooyen. Glorious swing

Cameron Young. Must win soon

Harry Hall. Living the dream

Five Outsiders to Watch:

Joel Dahmen. Desperate for one decent week

Harry Higgs. Has had his moments

Daniel Berger. He is better than this

Alejandro Tosti. All or nothing

Camillo Villegas. Looking to rediscover last season’s flying finish