Week 7 Approach Shots: Mayakoba Golf Classic

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With four rounds in the 60s at last year's Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun, Mark Wilson earned his second PGA TOUR title with a two-stroke win over J.J. Henry. Wilson won his first TOUR title in 2007 at The Honda Classic.

TV/Radio (all times ET)

TV: GOLF CHANNEL (Thu.-Sat., 6:30-8:30 p.m.; Sun. 7-9:30 p.m.)

Weather

Scattered showers are possible for most of the weekend. Temperatures will be warm, with highs expected to reach into the 80s. Updated weather info

Key links

• Expert picks | Tee times • Power Rankings | Fantasy Insider • Inside the Field | Inside the Course

This week, Wilson will defend his title at El Camaleon Golf Club during the fourth annual event, one of four FedExCup Regular Season tournaments played outside the United States. The Puerto Rico Open presented by Banco Popular is next month, with the British Open and the RBC Canadian Open on back-to-back weeks in July.

This season, Wilson has made four of five cuts, with his best performance a tie for 20th at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Wilson is 70th in the FedExCup standings.

Wilson was one of four players to shoot four rounds in the 60s last year. He had rounds of 66-64-69-68, and he joined J.J. Henry (runner-up), Heath Slocum (tied for third) and James Nitties (tied for sixth) as the only others with four sub-70 rounds.

Kevin Na had the low round of the tournament a year ago when he shot a second-round 62 at the par-70 course. This week, the eighth hole at El Camaleon Golf Club, will play as a par 5, making the course a par 71. The low 18-hole round at the event in the previous three tournaments is the 61 Roland Thatcher shot in 2008.

There will be a strong Hispanic presence in the field this week, led by Mexicans Jose Trauwitz, a native of Cuernavaca and Esteban Toledo, who grew up in Mexicali. There are also five players from Spain -- Pablo Martin, Alejandro Canizares, Jorge Campillo, Santiago Luna and Pedro Oriol -- receiving sponsor's exemptions. Coceres is well known at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, having lost to Fred Funk in a playoff during the inaugural tournament in 2007.

SIGN OF THINGS TO COME: A year ago, Y.E. Yang shot four par-or-better rounds at the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun to tie for 20th. That was a nice springboard for Yang, who traveled to Palm Beach Gardens the next week and won The Honda Classic. Later in the year, Yang won the PGA Championship. He's currently competing in the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.

AMERICAN DOMINATION: In the history of the event, all three champions -- Fred Funk, Brian Gay and Wilson -- have been from the United States. U.S. players dominated again last year at this Mexico event, with nine of the top-12 finishers all Americans. Interestingly, the three international players, who all tied for sixth, were Australians -- Jarrod Lyle, James Nitties and Aron Price.

NORMAN'S TOUGH TRACK: El Camaleon Golf Club, designed by two-time British Open champion and World Golf Hall of Fame member Greg Norman, was ranked No. 14 among the most-difficult courses on the PGA TOUR in 2009. The field at the par-70 El Camaleon had a stroke average of 70.642.

Columnists' predictions

Each week, PGATOUR.COM columnists will predict the winner. Here are their picks for the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera-Maya Cancun. Columnist Pick Comment Craig Dolch BRINY BAIRD: He's long overdue to catch his first career PGA TOUR win at a place he always contends. Melanie Hauser DAVID DUVAL: He's smooth, confident, playing great and reminding us he's thisclose. So, take a bow, David Duval. John Maginnes JOHN DALY: Considering that only little guys that hit it really straight seem to win here, I am going with John Daly. What, he fits the bill now.

Bolton's Yahoo! selections

Fantasy columnist Rob Bolton will provide his Yahoo! picks as a starting point for you every week. Use the advice and opinion from his Power Rankings and Fantasy Insider to assist in determining lineups changes throughout each tournament. Group Starters Bench Group A Heath Slocum Pablo Martin Group B K.J. Choi, Mark Wilson Briny Baird, Kevin Stadler Group C John Merrick David Duval

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