Steve Palmer's World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba predictions

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the World Wide Technology Championship at El Camaleon on the PGA Tour.

Where to watch

Live on Sky Sports Golf & Main Event from 7pm on Thursday

Best bets

Billy Horschel
4pts each-way 18-1 Betfair, Hills, Power
Aaron Wise
3pts each-way 20-1 Betfair, Power
Emiliano Grillo
2pts each-way 35-1 Hills
Brandon Wu
1pt each-way 100-1 bet365

Steve Stricker is the last player to win a PGA Tour event three years in a row - the Wisconsin man dominated the John Deere Classic from 2009 to 2011 - and Viktor Hovland is looking to do likewise in the World Wide Technology Championship.

Hovland followed a one-shot success in the 2020 Mayakoba event with a four-shot romp last year. All three of his PGA Tour triumphs have come on paspalum grass and the Norwegian should arguably be favourite this week given his course credentials.

Recent inconsistency is the reason to leave Hovland alone at 11-1 but he still appeals more than 9-1 market leader Scottie Scheffler, who finished 45th in the CJ Cup last time out and lost his world number one status in the process. A spell of mediocre putting has seen Scheffler drop his standards in the last few months and he was poor in the Presidents Cup.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Billy Horschel 18-1

Ebullient Floridian Billy Horschel has never been happier with the state of his all-round game and life in general - and the popular 35-year-old could be set for a seventh PGA Tour title at El Camaleon on Sunday.

The former FedEx Cup winner romped to a four-shot victory in the Memorial in June, highlighting the strides he has made, and a world ranking of 16 underlines the fact. Horschel has finally fulfilled his dream of teeing up for the United States in a professional team event - earning a place on the Presidents Cup side in September - and he has performed well since.

Horschel has posted a top-ten finish in his last three tournaments - the BMW PGA, the Dunhill Links Championship and the CJ Cup - and this week he has arrived at a venue he loves.

When Horschel made his debut at El Camaleon as a nervous rookie in 2011, he had missed his ten previous PGA Tour cuts, and he missed his four cuts after the event. In the Mayakoba Classic, though, he shrugged off his abysmal form to card four under-par rounds for 13th place, dropping a huge early clue that he was ultra-comfortable at this venue.

Horschel did not play the tournament much in subsequent years, but he restored it to his schedule more recently, finishing eighth in 2019 and fifth in 2020. The course plays to his strengths and he looks a rock-solid each-way investment.

Next best bet

Aaron Wise 20-1

The 2018 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year could be about to take his career to a new level and Aaron Wise appears a must for the Mayakoba staking plan.

Wise won his maiden PGA Tour title in fine style four years ago and appeared to be bursting with potential. It is a surprise that victory number two is yet to arrive, but at the age of 26 the Las Vegas-based star could be ready for take-off.

Wise has a swing to die for and is a consistent ball-striker. Putting has been the bugbear, but he has fully committed to a long putter and his statistics this season will have encouraged him. If Wise continues to roll his rock with assurance, silverware seems almost inevitable.

Wise was superb in the FedEx Cup playoffs in August, then a bit rusty on his return to competition in the Shriners Children's Open at the start of last month. He came on for that Las Vegas run and was right back in the groove in the CJ Cup, finishing sixth in high-class company.

Wise was tenth at El Camaleon in 2018, runner-up in 2020 and 15th last year. Low rounds should be available once rain softens the course on Thursday - and Wise seems a likely candidate to deliver some of them.

Other selections

Emiliano Grillo 35-1

Brandon Wu 100-1

World-class ball-striker Emiliano Grillo tees up at a hugely suitable venue this week and there is every chance that the Argentinian can go close to ending a seven-year PGA Tour victory drought.

Grillo made his El Camaleon debut in 2016 and finished tenth, then he was ninth in 2017, 15th in 2018 and eighth in 2020. He has a great record generally at paspalum grass venues and has been playing superbly in the build-up to the World Wide Technology Championship.

Grillo finished second in the John Deere Classic at the start of July, second in the 3M Open at the end of July, fifth in the Sanderson Farms Championship at the start of last month and fourth in the Zozo Championship in the middle of last month. This sweet-swinger turned 30 in September and is probably too talented to be stuck on one PGA Tour win for much longer.

Complete a four-pronged attack with Brandon Wu, who recovered from a slow start in the Bermuda Championship last week by firing a Friday 64. A steady weekend meant a share of 35th spot, following 29th place in the Zozo Championship.

Wu has clearly settled on the PGA Tour and from March onwards has looked a lively title contender. In May, he finished second behind Jon Rahm in the Mexico Open, which is played at another Greg Norman-designed course with paspalum grass in Mexico (Vidanta Vallarta).

Wu has played in only one previous Mayakoba event - making just his second start as a professional in 2019 - and 55th place was a decent effort in the circumstances. He won the 2020 Korn Ferry Tour Championship and can threaten a PGA Tour breakthrough on Sunday.

Players to note

Collin Morikawa
The two-time Major champion is making his course debut. He should fall in love with the test of accuracy but may need a round or two to settle on previously uncharted terrain.

Russell Knox
The precise Scot, twice a top-three finisher at El Camaleon, greatly looks forward to this tournament each year.

Maverick McNealy
The Californian appears to enjoy short courses and he has El Camaleon form figures of 26-12-11 from the last three years.

Seamus Power
Sunday's Bermuda Championship winner will have celebrated heartily, but he was 11th at El Camaleon last year and a follow-up success is feasible.

El Camaleon course guide

Course El Camaleon Golf Club, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Prize money $8.2m ($1.296m to the winner)
Length 7,034 yards
Par 71 - three par-fives, 11 par-fours, four par-threes
Field 132 The cut Top 65 and ties qualify for round three
Highest-ranked players in field (world ranking in brackets) Scottie Scheffler (2), Collin Morikawa (9), Viktor Hovland (11), Tony Finau (14), Billy Horschel (16)
Course records- 72 holes 261 Viktor Hovland (2021) 18 holes 61 Roland Thatcher (2008)

Course winners taking part John Huh, Harris English, Charley Hoffman, Patton Kizzire, Matt Kuchar, Brendon Todd, Viktor Hovland (twice)

When to bet By midday on Thursday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Golf from 7pm on Thursday

Time difference Mexico is five hours behind the UK and Ireland

Last week - Bermuda Championship 1 S Power (22-1), 2 T Detry (18-1), T3 P Rodgers (28-1), K Yu (90-1), B Griffin (100-1), T6 D McCarthy (16-1), A Baddeley (200-1), T8 M McGreevy (300-1), J Lower (28-1)

Course type Parkland

Course overview The Mayakoba PGA Tour gathering takes place on the stunning Greg Norman-designed El Camaleon. This tournament, which started in 2007, was previously staged in February, running alongside the Accenture Match Play until getting its own autumn date in 2013. One minute on this layout the competitors are working their way through holes deep in tropical jungle, and the next they emerge to oceanside holes where sun-loving spectators watch the action from the beach. El Camaleon is a quirky, fiddly track with limestone canals bisecting certain holes and there is even a cave which splits the first fairway into two sections. Sound course management is required, although scores in the low 60s have been recorded regularly by players with fairway-finding ability

Story of last year Viktor Hovland successfully defended his title, romping to a four-shot victory over Carlos Ortiz

Weather forecast Thundery showers are forecast for the opening morning, so there could be some delays to play. Sunny, warm, calm weather is expected for the final three days

Type of player suited to the challenge The Mayakoba honours board is filled with accurate drivers and it appears the only way to compete at El Camaleon is from the fairway. With peculiar trouble-spots waiting to punish the errant, precision operators like Fred Funk, Brian Gay, Mark Wilson, John Huh, Graeme McDowell, Pat Perez, Matt Kuchar and Brendon Todd have relished the challenge

Key attribute Accuracy

Spotlight insight Five of the last six Mayakoba winners had a top-20 finish in their previous PGA Tour start

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