The 16th edition of the PGA Tour visiting the Riviera Maya in Mexico, south of Cancun, which was played earlier this month, will be its final rendition. Golfweek has learned that the El Camaleon Golf Club, which has regularly hosted the World Wide Technologies Championship at Mayakoba is set to be the site of the first LIV Golf tournament in February 2023. Multiple sources have confirmed that an announcement is expected as early as Tuesday.
The decision to jump to LIV Golf makes sense given that Greg Norman, CEO of LIV Golf, designed the course and has strong ties to the resort and tournament organizers. LIV Golf also has signed the most prominent Mexican golfers to its roster of players, including Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz.
LIV Golf Mayakoba is expected to take place on Feb. 24-26, 2023, and serve as the kick-off event on the 14-event schedule. It is the first golf course to leave the PGA Tour in favor of hosting an event on the upstart LIV Golf circuit. Under the new PGA Tour schedule, a number of events have been deemed “elevated” in an effort to maximize playing fields and purses. The World Wide Technologies Championship was left off the elevated list for 2023.
WWT remains signed as a title sponsor and it is believed that the PGA Tour will seek a new venue for the WWT Championship. El Camaleon was the first official event on the PGA Tour schedule outside of the United States and Canada.
Russell Henley holds the trophy after winning the 2022 World Wide Technology Championship at Club de Golf El Camaleon in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. (Photo: Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
The routing of the Norman design blends through the rich ecosystems of Mayakoba, including tropical jungle, dense mangroves, freshwater canals and pristine Riviera Maya oceanfront, including holes along the clear-blue Caribbean Sea. The course even incorporates a cenote – an underground cavern common to the area – in the heart of the No. 1 fairway.
The eco-resort is nestled in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, home to four upscale hotels: Andaz, Banyan Tree, Fairmont and Rosewood, each connected by waterways and capable of hosting everything from a buddies trip to a couples getaway.
El Camaleon ranks No. 18 on Golfweek’s Best Courses list for Mexico, the Caribbean, Atlantic islands and Central America.
When asked for a response, an official from the PGA Tour texted Golfweek, saying the organization had no comment.
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