Horses for Courses: Erik van Rooyen hopes for more par-breaking form at El Cardonal at Diamante

Located on Mexico's Pacific Coast, Los Cabos welcomes the World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal at Diamante for the second time. Although not installed as the betting favorite this week at the BetMGM Sportsbook, reigning champion Erik van Rooyen (+3300) is the only player to lift the trophy on the Baja Peninsula. Posting 27-under on the par-72 layout last year, the South African eagled the final hole to win by two shots.

Par Breakers

Players listed are in the field this week; 2024 season stats.

Designed by Tiger Woods and TGR Design and opened in 2014, El Cardonal at Diamante ranked as one of the easiest courses on TOUR in 2023. The resort course produced a scoring average of 68.993, more than three shots under par. No course conceded more birdies (2,094) or eagles (61) last year. Van Rooyen circled 27 birdies (T8) and added three eagles to offset four bogeys and a double. Seven players produced more birdies than the winner, but nobody made more eagles. With four par-5 holes on the card, the field averaged 16 par breakers for the week, and the top nine players posted 20-under or better.

SG: Approach the Green

Blanketed by Paspalum grass, the preferred grass of most seaside courses in the Caribbean and Mexico, El Cardonal at Diamante stretches 7,452 yards. With landing areas in the fairways pushing 60 yards wide, just one water penalty area and no rough framing of the short grass, everyone will have a chance to attack the hole locations. The greens, averaging 8,300 square feet, are massive targets, and those who can control the spin and trajectory will have the best chances to hole birdie putts. (Note: ShotLink is not in use for this event).

Last year Justin Suh (+6600) hit 51 of 56 fairways (T38) but led the field in both Greens in Regulation (67 of 72) and Birdies (31). Averaging almost eight birdies a round, he cashed solo fourth, his best finish on TOUR to date, and did not produce a round higher than 68.

Birdie or Better Percentage

Contending in a shootout requires converting Greens in Regulation to birdies or better. Last year, all the players in the top nine posted 20-under or lower. The resort course conceded 10-under-par or better to 68 of the 73 players who advanced to the weekend. Those 73 players produced nine rounds ABOVE par for the entire week.

A former winner on Paspalum in Mexico at Mayakoba, Matt Kuchar (+2800) looked like he was going to run away and hide from the field last season. Leading by six shots through 14 holes in Round 3, the 44-year-old made a quadruple bogey and bogey on his next two holes to let the rest of the field back in the tournament. The nine-time winner posted all four rounds at 67 or better and ranked second in Birdie or Better Percentage. Joining him in second place for the week was another veteran, Camilo Villegas (+30000), who tied van Rooyen for third in converting GIR to birdies.

Oddsmaker’s extras

Nate Lashley (+5000): Top finishes on Paspalum included a victory and T4 at Corales Puntacana Championship, three top-10 paydays at the Puerto Rico Open, T11 at Vidanta Vallarta, and T10 here last year.

Nico Echavarria (+5500): The winner at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP two weeks ago won for the first time on the PGA TOUR in March 2023 at the Puerto Rico Open. The two-time winner on TOUR loves the seaside surface and cashed checks of T15 or better at Corales and Puerto Rico earlier this season.

Chad Ramey (+6600) and Joel Dahmen (+10000) have both won the Corales Puntacana Championship in the last five years on a similar design … Harris English (+2800) and Patton Kizzire (+6600) are former event champions at Mayakoba on Paspalum … Brandon Wu (+20000) has cashed T13, third and T2 in three trips to Puerto Vallarta and was twice in the top 10 in Puerto Rico. Hey, everyone needs a long shot!

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