This is a huge opportunity for our 2010 Q-school grads. With the World's Top 64 playing in the Accenture Match Play Championship, we'll see a prime opportunity for a few of these guys to break through at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Cancun. Every player who entered the field for this one got in, as well as quite a few players who didn't make the cut at Q-school and are hanging on to their PGA status by a thread. For our grads - this is a big week.
Mayacoba? No, it's not Spanish for "my fault." It's a resort area in Playa del Carmen, about 35 miles south of Cancún in the heart of the Riviera Maya on the Caribbean. Lots of beautiful all-inclusive resorts on pristine beaches, with beautiful people drinking colorful margaritas and crappy Mexican beer. But, these guys are all hoping they miss that action and that they're on the links all 4 days.
23 of the 27 2010 graduates are playing. The Top 64 in the world are not. Neither are Gary Woodland or Brandt Jobe, the two 2010 graduates off to the best starts this season. La puerta is open. So far in 2011, our grads have accounted for 3 Top Tens among them, with two of those coming from Woodland. I'm predicting (hoping) we see at least 3 more Top 10s this week.
A few names to keep an eye on: Jarrod Lyle ,who has made 5 of 6 cuts this year and finished 35th last week. Zack Miller who has been in the Top 30 his last three tournaments including a 9th his last time out; Kyle Stanley who has made cuts in all 4 tournaments this year and Richard S. Johnson coming off of two straight Top 40 finishes.
So, turn off the match play, where all the big name Americans will likely be out by Friday, and focus on the battle below the border.
