2026 World Wide Technology Championship

Introduction

There’s a milestone feel to this week in Los Cabos, because the World Wide Technology Championship turns 20, and the event that became the first PGA Tour stop ever played outside the United States and Canada is celebrating at the first course Tiger Woods ever completed. It’s also the second week of a two-stop swing through Mexico and the sixth of eight FedExCup Fall events, so plenty of the field is playing for 2027 status as much as a trophy. El Cardonal surrendered a tournament record 29 under par to Ben Griffin last November, and with fairways that average roughly 60 yards wide and no rough to speak of, red numbers are on the menu again. Expect a birdie barrage, expect the putter to decide it, and expect a leaderboard where one hot weekend can change a career.

Course Breakdown

El Cardonal at Diamante plays to a par of 72 and measures 7,452 yards this week, split into a 3,826 yard front nine and a 3,626 yard back nine, and because it sits essentially at sea level, none of that length gets trimmed by altitude. Woods opened it in 2014 as his first completed design, and it became the first course of his to host an official Tour event when the championship arrived in 2023. The defining trait off the tee is room: fairways average about 60 yards across, there is no rough, and sandy desert and cactus replace the thick grass that normally punishes a miss. That doesn’t make it a pure bomb-and-gouge setup, though. The front nine runs between sand dunes while the back nine plays across desert washes, and holes like the 474 yard 8th, where a sandy arroyo cuts across the tee, the landing area and the green, reward the player who picks the right line over the one who simply swings hardest. Off the tee, El Cardonal favors someone who can hit driver freely but still shape it into the correct side of the fairway.

Approach play is where the angles matter most, and Woods himself has emphasized that where you attack the green from is a major part of the design. The four par 3s test a full range of clubs at 208 yards on the 2nd, 200 yards on the 9th, 189 yards on the 11th and just 154 yards on the 16th. The 2nd brings a big front bunker and a green with a backstop, while the uphill 9th plays over a ravine and often into the prevailing breeze. The greens are enormous for the Tour, averaging around 8,300 square feet on the paspalum surface, which helps explain why only Kapalua produced a better greens in regulation rate than El Cardonal over its first two editions. Size cuts both ways, though, because this course had the third-highest three-putt rate on Tour outside the majors in 2024, and a miss into the desert or a nasty bunker can leave a very awkward recovery. The long par 4s ask the most of the irons, led by the 483 yard 4th, which climbs about 30 feet from tee to green and was the toughest hole on the course in 2024, and the 489 yard 7th.

The scoring holes are what drive the leaderboard here. All four par 5s are reachable for longer hitters, led by the 582 yard 1st, which was the easiest hole on the course in 2024 and played nearly seven tenths of a stroke under par. The 601 yard 6th climbs toward an M-shaped green guarded by a central bunker, the 554 yard 14th has an arroyo splitting the fairway, and the 585 yard 18th gives players one last birdie look. The 351 yard 3rd, which brings a pond and bunkers into play, and the 344 yard 10th add short par 4s that tempt aggressive tee shots. Wind is the main equalizer, and the stretch of long two-shotters, including the 475 yard 13th and the 462 yard 15th and 17th, is where the course claws shots back. Ultimately, El Cardonal rewards the player who can overpower the par 5s, choose smart angles with the driver, strike precise approaches into large and firm greens, and roll lag putts well enough to avoid the three-putts that quietly wreck rounds.

Field Breakdown

The headline is the return of defending champion Ben Griffin, who capped a three-win 2025 season here with a final-round 63 and arrives fresh off a tie for second at the VidantaWorld Mexico Open last week. Griffin has climbed as high as eighth in the world, yet Ryan Gerard is the highest-ranked player in the 120-man field at 23rd, a telling sign of how wide open this week is. Jackson Koivun, the 3M Open winner and a PGA Tour University graduate, brings some of the most exciting upside on the property, and Austin Eckroat returns as the 2024 champion with a final-round 63 of his own to his name at El Cardonal. With no one inside the world top 20, the elite tier here is thinner than usual, which keeps the ceiling high for anyone who gets hot.

The second tier is stacked with players carrying either course credentials or fresh momentum. Chad Ramey and Sami Valimaki both finished runner-up behind Griffin last year, while Garrick Higgo matched the course record with an 11-under 61 in the third round and ended up tied for fourth. Erik van Rooyen, the 2023 champion, and past winners Matt Kuchar and Patton Kizzire add experience, and a long list of players come straight from Vallarta with form in hand, including Matthieu Pavon, Max Greyserman, Mackenzie Hughes, Gordon Sargent, Marco Penge and Adrien Dumont de Chassart, all of whom finished near the top of the board last week.

The depth of the field leans young and hungry, with 19-year-old Korn Ferry Tour graduate Blades Brown, Ben James, Luke Clanton, David Ford and Jay Leng all chasing status, and top-ranked amateur Preston Stout earning a spot after winning the Cabo Collegiate. The veteran contingent features Tony Finau, Billy Horschel, Lucas Glover, Camilo Villegas and European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, while Mexican players like Alvaro Ortiz, who tied for 11th last week, and Alejandro Madariaga bring home-soil energy. For most of the field, finishing inside the top 100 in FedExCup points is the real goal. What separates the realistic winners from the rest comes down to who can attack the four par 5s with driver in hand, control approach angles on large, firm greens, and keep the putter hot enough to avoid the three-putts that make this layout bite.

Tournament History

El Cardonal has only hosted three editions, but they paint a vivid picture of how low this course can go. Erik van Rooyen set the standard at 27 under in 2023 with a walk-off eagle, Austin Eckroat won by a single stroke at 24 under with a Sunday 63 in 2024, and Ben Griffin set a new tournament record at 29 under last year after a closing 63 sent him past a crowded leaderboard. Carson Young holds the course’s 18-hole record of 61, a number Higgo matched in 2025. That is a notable jump from the Mayakoba era, when winners typically landed between 19 and 23 under par on a par 71, which tells me El Cardonal’s wide corridors and reachable par 5s produce a higher scoring ceiling than the event’s old home. With the course unchanged at 7,452 yards, the wind is again the one thing that can slow the birdie parade.

Below is a look at the past 10 champions, including their winning score relative to par and the course that hosted the championship:

• 2025 - Ben Griffin, El Cardonal (-29)

• 2024 - Austin Eckroat, El Cardonal (-24)

• 2023 - Erik van Rooyen, El Cardonal (-27)

• 2022 - Russell Henley, El Camaleón (-23)

• 2021 - Viktor Hovland, El Camaleón (-23)

• 2020 - Viktor Hovland, El Camaleón (-20)

• 2019 - Brendon Todd, El Camaleón (-20)

• 2018 - Matt Kuchar, El Camaleón (-22)

• 2017 - Patton Kizzire, El Camaleón (-19)

• 2016 - Pat Perez, El Camaleón (-21)

Outright Betting Selections

Christiaan Bezuidenhout +4500

My model has Christiaan Bezuidenhout 12th in this field, and +4500 feels like a price that doesn’t respect that ranking. The headline for me is how complete his game has been all year. He has two top 10s and seven top 25s in 2026, and he has been among the better all-around players on Tour without a win to show for it. In a field where the highest-ranked player is only 23rd in the world, I’m happy to buy a steady, well-rounded player at this number.

His fall has been consistent. After a missed cut at the Biltmore Championship, he tied for 32nd at the Bank of Utah Championship at 15 under, tied for 17th at the Baycurrent Classic, and tied for 19th at 14 under last week at the VidantaWorld Mexico Open. Before that he posted a T12 at the John Deere Classic, a T20 at the 3M Open and a T6 at the Myrtle Beach Classic. He hasn’t played El Cardonal, but he finished T15 at 13 under in this event at its old home in 2022, and his T8 at the Puerto Rico Open earlier this year came on another coastal resort layout.

His strokes gained profile is built on the parts of the game that decide this week. He rates among the best putters on Tour, which matters on 8,000 plus square foot greens where lag putting and avoiding three-putts are everything. He is also above average around the green and with his irons. The soft spot is off the tee, where he gives up distance to most of this field. That cost matters on the four par 5s, which long hitters can reach, so he will be wedging in on holes where others have shorter clubs. The wide, rough-free fairways at least keep the damage limited.

The case is a top-tier putter with a good all-around game at a number that undersells his ranking. The distance gap on the par 5s is the biggest risk.

2026 PGA Tour Strokes Gained Rankings:

• Total: 22nd

• Off-the-Tee: 140th

• Approach: 22nd

• Around the Green: 29th

• Putting: 19th

Jordan Smith +4500

My model ranks Jordan Smith 22nd, and the reason I’m on him is simple: he is one of the best drivers in this field on a course that rewards driving. El Cardonal gives players wide, rough-free corridors and four par 5s that are reachable for longer hitters. Smith’s power off the tee gives him a built-in edge in exactly those spots. At +4500, I think the market is underpricing how well his strengths fit this layout.

His form is trending up. He tied for 16th last week at Vidanta at 15 under with a closing 64, and a week before that he finished T4 at the Baycurrent Classic at 13 under. He also tied for 26th at the Bank of Utah and tied for 14th at the Wyndham Championship, and earlier this year he finished third at the Valspar Championship. I couldn’t find any recent El Cardonal start, so this is a new course for him, but his results at Bank of Utah and Baycurrent show he handles birdie-friendly setups.

Smith ranks among the very best off the tee on Tour and is above average with his irons, which is the combination I want at a course with wide fairways and large greens that reward precise iron play. The weaknesses are real. He ranks near the bottom of the Tour in putting and sits below average around the greens, and with large, undulating paspalum greens that punish bad lag putts, that is a genuine concern. Even so, his recent form around the greens and on the greens has been better than his season-long numbers.

The case is elite distance and good iron play on a course built for both, with a hot recent run to back it up. The putter is the obvious risk, and a bad week on the greens would sink him.

2026 PGA Tour Strokes Gained Rankings:

• Total: 51st

• Off-the-Tee: 15th

• Approach: 46th

• Around the Green: 124th

• Putting: 130th

Ben Kohles +5000

Ben Kohles is the top-ranked player in my model this week, and +5000 is a generous price for the player my numbers like most. The headline is his iron play, which is the best on the PGA Tour this season, and El Cardonal asks for precise approaches into big greens from the right angles. This is the highest-ranked player in my model sitting well down the odds board, and that gap is the whole thesis.

His form has been strong and steady. He tied for 15th at the Biltmore Championship and 13th at the Bank of Utah Championship at 18 under, then tied for 17th at both the Baycurrent Classic and the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. This summer he finished third at the John Deere Classic at 18 under and ninth at the 3M Open at 18 under. The one blemish is his only start at El Cardonal, a T63 at 9 under last year. I’m not overreacting to it, since he has played far better since, but it is a data point I have to name.

His strokes gained profile is lopsided in the best way. He leads the Tour in approach play and ranks among the very best in total strokes gained, while his driving is above average and his putting and short game are slightly above average. The knock is distance, because he is among the shorter hitters on Tour, and that costs him on the par 5s that long hitters can attack. Wide fairways help him stay out of trouble, but he will be playing from further back on the holes where the field makes up the most ground.

The case is the best iron player on Tour, who is also the top name in my model, at a price that doesn’t reflect either. The distance deficit and the T63 here are the real risks.

2026 PGA Tour Strokes Gained Rankings:

• Total: 4th

• Off-the-Tee: 41st

• Approach: 1st

• Around the Green: 66th

• Putting: 58th

Beau Hossler +7500

My model has Beau Hossler 46th, so this is a pick driven by course history rather than ranking. Hossler has made the cut in all three editions at El Cardonal, and each time he has finished inside the top 20. That consistency at a course where plenty of players struggle to adapt is the reason I’m on him at +7500.

His El Cardonal results are tied for 15th at 18 under in 2023, tied for 20th at 14 under in 2024 and tied for 17th at 19 under last year. Those scores would have won most events on the Tour, which tells me he is comfortable getting into the mid and high teens here without needing to go supernova. His current form is the question mark, because he has finished T53 at the Bank of Utah, T41 at the Baycurrent Classic and T48 last week at Vidanta, and none of those would excite anyone. I’m betting that El Cardonal is a course where he plays above his recent results.

Hossler’s skill set explains the history. He ranks among the best putters on Tour this season, which is the single most important trait on greens this large, and he is solid around the green and slightly above average off the tee. His iron play is a clear weakness, ranking below average, which is a problem on a course that rewards approach shots. That has limited his ceiling here, and it’s why he has finished in the teens rather than higher.

The case is a proven performer at this venue with an elite putter at a price that reflects his recent form. The approach game and a lack of current momentum are the big risks.

2026 PGA Tour Strokes Gained Rankings:

• Total: 29th

• Off-the-Tee: 74th

• Approach: 124th

• Around the Green: 42nd

• Putting: 8th

Erik Van Rooyen +10000

My model has Erik van Rooyen 85th, so this is a straight course history play with a bit of recent form behind it. He won this event at El Cardonal in 2023 at 27 under, and last week he tied for sixth at Vidanta at 18 under with a closing 64. A former winner here showing signs of life at a similar setup is worth a small look at triple digit odds.

His 2023 win is the foundation. He shot 68-64-66-63, closed with a back nine of 28, and finished with an eagle on the 18th, and the putter was a big part of that week. He has not repeated it, finishing T64 in 2024 and missing the cut last year. Recent form was poor for much of the summer, with several missed cuts, but he has quietly improved this fall: a T45 at the Bank of Utah Championship, a T59 at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship and last week’s strong result in Mexico.

His strokes gained profile explains both the win and the struggles. He ranks above average on the greens this season, which was the key to his win at this venue, and he is roughly average around the green. Off the tee he is below average, and his iron play is among the weakest on Tour, which is a real problem at a course that rewards approach play. That is why his results here have been all or nothing.

The case is a past winner with a hot putter and recent momentum at a massive price. His approach play and ranking in my model mean this is a lottery ticket.

2026 PGA Tour Strokes Gained Rankings:

• Total: 117th

• Off-the-Tee: 111th

• Approach: 147th

• Around the Green: 71st

• Putting: 33rd

My outright card is built around a minimum 10x return on my unit. In practice, that means I spread one total unit across all my selections for the week, structured so that any single winner returns at least 10 units. This means I only need to hit one outright in ten tournaments to break even. It keeps me honest about the odds I'm willing to accept and prevents me from chasing value at prices that don't justify the risk.

That said, this is my system, and it works for my bankroll and my risk tolerance. Yours may look completely different, and it should. Figure out what return threshold makes sense for you, how many units you're comfortable putting at risk in a given week, and build from there. The best betting system is the one you can stick to consistently, not the one that sounds best on paper.

Daily Fantasy Sports Selections

$10,000+ Price Range: Ryan Gerard ($10,200)

Ryan Gerard is $10,200 this week, and the reason I’m interested is simple. He is the highest-ranked player in the field in the world rankings, and he is going to be the lowest-owned player in this price range by a sizable margin. For a course that rewards precise iron play on big greens, a player with a top-tier all-around season sitting at a fraction of the ownership of his salary neighbors is a leverage spot worth taking seriously.

His recent form backs up the quality. He finished third at the Tour Championship in August, tied for 16th at the BMW Championship, and tied for fourth at the Baycurrent Classic last month at 13 under. He has one real data point at this course, a tie for 14th at 15 under in 2024 after missing the cut in 2023. His season profile is built on strong overall play, very good iron play, and a putter that sits above Tour average, with a driver that is a bit better than average. That fits El Cardonal’s wide fairways and its demand for good angles into the greens. The weakness is around the greens, where he ranks near the bottom of the Tour, and with arroyos, bunkers and cacti guarding many of these greens, that is a real risk.

This is a pure tournament play. My model is lukewarm on him, so I’m not pretending he is the best value in the field, but in a large field GPP the ownership gap is the whole point. If he contends, almost nobody will have him, and that is how you separate from the pack. I would not use him in cash games, because the short game weakness gives him a lower floor than his salary suggests. I’m treating him as a deliberate contrarian piece and building the rest of the lineup around players the field is more likely to roster.

2026 PGA Tour Strokes Gained Rankings:

• Total: 21st

• Off-the-Tee: 45th

• Approach: 41st

• Around the Green: 135th

• Putting: 25th

$9,900 - $9,000 Price Range: Harry Hall ($9,400)

Harry Hall at $9,400 is a play I like regardless of ownership, and he is going to attract about average ownership for the price. The case is that he has been trending upward, he has already shown he can get around this course, and his putting and short game are a strong match for the large, undulating greens here. My model has him 38th, so this is more a form and fit play than a model darling, but I think the price is fair for what he does well.

He tied for 23rd at 13 under last week at Vidanta and tied for 13th at the Bank of Utah Championship at 18 under, and in August he tied for fifth at the Wyndham Championship at 15 under. At El Cardonal he tied for 14th at 15 under in 2024, though he missed the cut here in 2023. His season profile rates him as above average overall, with a putter that has been among the better ones on Tour and short game numbers that rank very well. The soft spots are off the tee and with his irons, which sit below average, and a course this open should limit the damage from the driver but not from the approach game.

I’m treating him as a solid, mid-owned piece to build a lineup around. He has a playable floor thanks to his putting and short game, and because the ownership is neutral he doesn’t create much leverage on his own. I’ll diversify around him by pairing him with at least one lower-owned piece at the top and bottom of my build. In a field this thin, I think the combination of upside and stability is worth the salary, though his iron play is a real concern if the greens are firm.

2026 PGA Tour Strokes Gained Rankings:

• Total: 62nd

• Off-the-Tee: 134th

• Approach: 104th

• Around the Green: 23rd

• Putting: 18th

$8,900 - $8,000 Price Range: Seamus Power ($8,100)

Seamus Power at $8,100 is my favorite course history play of the week, with average to below average ownership. My model has him 10th in the field, and he has finished tied for third and tied for 27th in his two starts here. At this price, a proven El Cardonal performer with a model ranking this high looks too cheap to me.

His El Cardonal record is a tie for third at 18 under in 2023 (a round of 63 on Saturday) and a tie for 27th at 17 under last year, and he also tied for 11th in this event at its old home in 2022. His fall has been very good. He lost a three-hole playoff in Bermuda two weeks ago, tied for 21st at the Bank of Utah Championship at 17 under, and tied for seventh at the Biltmore Championship at 20 under. His strength is the putter, which ranks among the best on Tour this season, and his short game is also above average, which is what you need on big, tricky greens. He is below average off the tee and with his irons, and that has capped his ceiling at this course.

This is a lineup anchor with a little leverage, because the ownership should be lighter than his results suggest. His floor is solid for the price, which makes him a reasonable cash game option, and the upside in a hot putting week is real. I’m comfortable building around him and diversifying elsewhere, since his ball striking could keep him from a win. If his driver and irons are even average this week, I think he gets into the mix.

2026 PGA Tour Strokes Gained Rankings:

• Total: 44th

• Off-the-Tee: 119th

• Approach: 119th

• Around the Green: 29th

• Putting: 7th

$7,900 - $7,000 Price Range: David Ford ($7,600)

David Ford at $7,600 is the player I’m most excited about in this range. My model has him 3rd in the field, and he is going to attract average to below average ownership, which is the best combination you can ask for in DFS. He is one of the longest hitters on Tour, and El Cardonal is built to reward that.

Ford finished tied for third at the Bank of Utah Championship at 23 under, tied for 25th at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, and missed the cut last week at Vidanta. At El Cardonal he tied for 40th at 15 under last year, his only start here. His season profile is led by elite driving, with iron play that is above average and a putter that is about average. The big weakness is around the greens, where he ranks near the bottom of the Tour, and with the arroyos and bunkers here, a poor week with the wedge could cost him. Still, a long hitter on a course with four reachable par 5s and wide fairways is exactly the player I want.

I’m treating Ford as a core piece, because the model support, the fit and the price all line up. Even with average ownership, his upside is well above his salary, and in a lineup built around one or two expensive players he is the kind of value that gets you to the top of the contest. I’ll diversify around him by staying away from the highest-owned names in the other tiers. His missed cut last week and the short game are the risks, but I think the course fit is strong enough to take them.

2026 PGA Tour Strokes Gained Rankings:

• Total: N/A

• Off-the-Tee: N/A

• Approach: N/A

• Around the Green: N/A

• Putting: N/A

$6,900 - $6,000 Price Range: A.J. Ewart ($6,900)

A.J. Ewart at $6,900 is a value play built on his putter, and he should draw about average ownership at the price. My model has him 21st in the field, which is strong for this salary. He is one of the better putters on Tour this season, and on large greens where lag putting and avoiding three-putts matter, that is a very useful skill.

His recent form is mixed but trending the right way. He tied for 13th at the Bank of Utah Championship at 18 under, tied for 25th in Bermuda, and tied for 58th last week at Vidanta after missing the cut at Biltmore. This is his first start at this event in the past five years, so he has no history at El Cardonal, but his best recent finish came on another wide open, birdie friendly layout. His putting ranks near the top of the Tour and his overall game is above average. The downside is off the tee, where he is below average, and he gives up distance on the par 5s, which are the holes this course rewards you for attacking.

I like Ewart as a mid-owned value piece that lets me spend up elsewhere. His floor depends on the putter, so he can be volatile, and that makes him more of a tournament play than a cash game one. Because the ownership is average, he doesn’t create much leverage, but the salary savings do. I’m comfortable using him to balance a lineup that has a couple of expensive players at the top, and I’ll diversify the rest of my build around him.

2026 PGA Tour Strokes Gained Rankings:

• Total: 67th

• Off-the-Tee: 136th

• Approach: 90th

• Around the Green: 94th

• Putting: 6th

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