Weekly Preview: World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba

World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba

El Camaleon GC
Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

The PGA Tour heads to Mexico for the latest edition of the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba. 

Since moving from the spring to the fall on the schedule, it seems as though some larger sponsors have gotten involved with this tournament. The reason? The field has improved exponentially. This was once an alternate event consisting of players trying to make a mark, but now we've got a number of big-time golfers involved. 

Unfortunately, this will likely be this tournament's last go-round as a higher-profile event, as the PGA Tour is restructuring its fall events in 2023 and beyond. We aren't quite sure what the fall schedule will look like, but it will probably afford the elite players a true offseason and focus on players trying to qualify for the upcoming campaign, which will officially start in January of the following year. I prefer a season that starts in the first month on the calendar, but I must admit, I have appreciated seeing the best golfers tee it up in the fall since the wraparound schedule was instituted. The previous method did induce plenty of drama, though, and while that won't be in play this year, it could be again in 2023.
                              
All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook as of 6:15 PM ET Tuesday.

LAST YEAR

Viktor Hovland shot a final-round 67 on his way to a four-stroke victory over Carlos Ortiz.

FAVORITES

Scottie Scheffler (17-2)

We now know two things about Scheffler's 2021-22 season. One, he was on an all-time heater this spring, something which we hadn't seen in a long time. Two, though it did turn out to be a bit of a hot streak, Scheffler really established himself as one of the best golfers in the world. He's not as good as he showed in the spring -- no one is -- but he is a threat anytime he tees it up. As for Scheffler's prospects this week, he has a good track record at El Camaleon, but his form isn't great and I don't think there's enough value at this price.

Viktor Hovland (10-1)

Hovland has a lot going for him this week. Not only did he win this event last year, he also won it the year before. He missed the cut in his first two trips here, but he clearly figured things out quickly. Hovland's form -- a pair of top-25s in two starts this season, including a top-5 at the ZOZO Championship -- is good enough to suggest a three-peat is possible.

Tony Finau (16-1)

In true Finau fashion, nothing went according to plan last season. After finally winning a full-field event the season before, it was thought that the floodgates would open for Finau. However, things didn't start that way. Finau struggled for much of the season, only to catch fire late and show the upside we've been talking about for years. Finau's track record here is a bit scattered, and considering his slow start this past season, it might be wise to hold off on him until he gets going.

THE NEXT TIER

Aaron Wise (18-1)

After a solid rookie season a few years back Wise's play dropped off dramatically. However, he seems to be back on track now, and this season could be one of his best. A strong showing here would be a nice start, and it looks like he could pull that off. His track record at El Camaleon is all over the place, but he does have three top-15s in four starts here, including a runner-up in 2020.

Tom Hoge (27-1)

Hoge was on fire during the early portion of the past season, but he really fizzled toward the end. He's gotten things going again, though, and has finished no worse than T13 in four starts this fall, and that's come against some decent fields. The only negative this week is course history, which is mostly poor. However, he did record a T3 here in 2020.

Taylor Montgomery (40-1)

If we aren't already wondering when and where Montgomery will pick up his first win, the official watch will surely start soon. Montgomery if off to a wicked start this season, with top-15s in all four starts, including a solo third at the Fortinet Championship. This could just be a heater and perhaps Montgomery comes back down to earth soon, but as we saw with Scheffler, you never know how high the ceiling is for some of these guys.

LONG SHOTS

Seamus Power (41-1)

We know how hard it is to win consecutive events on the PGA Tour, but it has been done, and if nothing else we are certain that Power is in good form. His track record here -- like most of the players in the field -- is all over the place, but he did post a T11 at El Camaleon last year.

J.J. Spaun (70-1)

Lost in all that went on this past year was a pretty good story in Spaun. He had spent much of his five-year PGA Tour career in obscurity, but after his win at the Valero Texas Open this past year, that all changed. That victory propelled him to nearly $3 million in earnings and also a career-best 34th-place finish in the FedExCup Standings. With a win under his belt, Spaun now has the confidence to get more. He has made the cut in all four starts this season but has lacked high-end finishes. Perhaps he finds one this week.

ONE-AND-DONE LEAGUES

Highly-owned Pick: Viktor Hovland - I get the impression that people avoid Hovland at the majors because of his struggles in the short game. If that's the case, you might see a lot of OAD players jump on him this week, as they are not afraid of using him too early in the season. I can't argue with that logic, particularly when you throw in the fact his odds are unlikely to be lower at any point in 2023 than they are this week.

Moderately-owned Pick: Aaron Wise - Wise isn't going to sneak up on anyone any longer. He's back to playing at a high level and he's just outside the group of favorites this week, so he's bound to be a popular pick. He does have value down the road, but I can't pinpoint a specific spot to deploy him, so here looks like as good of one as any.

Lightly-owned Pick: Seamus Power - OAD players like to stay away from the guy who won the previous week, and normally that's a good idea. However, this is the fall, and if you are looking to avoid using any big names and want someone with momentum, Power could be your guy.

Buyer Beware: Scottie Scheffler - He's the favorite and the best player in the field, but we haven't seen him at his best in a while. That isn't to say he will play poorly in Mexico, but I would temper expectations until he starts to play closer to the golfer we saw a few months ago.

This Week: Tom Hoge - I'm really rolling this fall, and after picking up a win with Power, I can throttle down until 2023 comes around. With that in mind, I'm going with Hoge this week. I don't think I'll need him in 2023, and he of course has a chance to play well. Montgomery would likely be my second choice.

Previous Results

FANDUEL PICKS

Upper Range: Viktor Hovland ($11,800)
Middle Range: Tom Hoge ($10,900)
Lower Range: J.J. Spaun ($8,700)

SURVIVOR LEAGUES

This Week: Billy Horschel - Sometimes I have to remind myself that, because there are so many events without cuts, the pool of players in this format is much smaller than the one needed in OAD contests. With that in mind, I'm going a little higher on the food chain and going with Horschel, who has made the cut here in six of his seven starts.

Previous Results