Steve Palmer's World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba predictions & tips

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 and Mix from 7pm on Thursday

Best bets

Abraham Ancer
4pts each-way 18-1 Hills
Billy Horschel
2pts each-way 33-1 Hills
Keegan Bradley
1pt each-way 55-1 Betfair. Betfred, Power

World number seven Justin Thomas and defending champion Viktor Hovland headline the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba, but both can be resisted at the odds.

Thomas quickly got tailed off in the CJ Cup in his last outing and may have mentally switched off for the year. Mexico is a location where he likes to visit to enjoy himself, as well as compete, and he may not apply himself properly on a fiddly layout.

Hovland, 44th in the Shriners Open and 18th in the CJ Cup, has seemed a little flat since his disappointing Ryder Cup debut. He took advantage of a rain-soaked El Camaleon to triumph last year, but drier conditions are anticipated this week.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Abraham Ancer 18-1

The clear weather forecast and the resulting test of precision will further encourage Abraham Ancer that this could be the week he finally gives his army of Mexican fans what they crave.

Ancer is teeing up in the Mayakoba as a PGA Tour champion for the first time. In the past he has arrived in his home country seeking a Tour breakthrough - the local hero looking to advance his career - but that added layer of pressure has disappeared.

This time, Ancer has swaggered into El Camaleon as the WGC-St Jude Invitational champion. A gutsy playoff victory in Memphis - emerging triumphant in a top-class field - has provided fresh self-belief for the 30-year-old.

Several unlucky near-misses prior to the maiden success can be forgotten - Ancer has got a trophy on his mantelpiece and can attack El Camaleon with more freedom. The course sets up wonderfully for him, underlined by form figures of 9-21-8-12 from his last four starts.

Ancer played in the final group of the CJ Cup last time out, fading on Sunday as Rory McIlroy thrived, but this course and this field presents a much greater opportunity for the pride of Mexico. An Ancer gamble started quickly on Monday - the early 25-1 was rapidly taken - and following the money could prove a sensible tactic.

Next best bet

Billy Horschel 33-1

Another precise operator who does not make many serious errors from tee to green can provide the main challenge to Ancer. Billy Horschel made his Mayakoba debut in 2011, having missed six cuts in a row prior to the event and ranked outside the world's top 1,000, but he finished 13th at El Camaleon.

That early fondness for the course has been underlined more recently with form figures of 21-8-5 from his last three Mayakoba starts. Last year Horschel carded sizzling weekend rounds of 65 and 64. Since that event he has won the WGC-Match Play and the BMW PGA Championship - two prestigious titles which have helped him to 20th in the world rankings.

Other selection

Keegan Bradley 55-1

Accurate driving is the key to success at El Camaleon - the honours board is full of fairway-finding machines - and Keegan Bradley can usually be relied upon for strong tee-shots.

Bradley tied for seventh in the Zozo Championship last time out and has shown enough in recent weeks - including 11th place in The Northern Trust - to suggest he is a Major champion to follow in a low-grade PGA Tour gathering in Mexico.

Bradley finished eighth on his Mayakoba debut in 2015 and can go close to a fifth PGA Tour victory on Sunday.

Players to note

Mito Pereira
The Chilean is a strong ball-striker who could fall in love with El Camaleon. One to consider for punters wanting more selections.

Matt Fitzpatrick
The Englishman, Valderrama champion last month, was a flopping favourite in the Bermuda Championship last week. This is his first Mayakoba start.

Emiliano Grillo
The Argentinian signed off with a 61 in the CJ Cup, then performed abysmally in the Zozo Championship. El Camaleon suits, but he is difficult to trust.

Joaquin Niemann
The Chilean has gone slightly off the boil over the last few weeks, but is well up to contending in this company.

Aaron Wise
The 2018 Rookie of the Year was runner-up to Viktor Hovland in last year's Mayakoba and impressed in Las Vegas last month.

El Camaleon course guide

Course El Camaleon Golf Club, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Prize money $7.2m ($1.296m to the winner)
Length 7,017 yards
Par 71
Field 132
Course records- 72 holes 262 Matt Kuchar (2018) 18 holes 61 Roland Thatcher (2008)

Course winners taking part Brian Gay, John Huh, Charley Hoffman, Graeme McDowell, Pat Perez, Patton Kizzire, Matt Kuchar, Brendon Todd, Viktor Hovland

When to bet By midday on Thursday

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

Time difference Mexico is five hours behind the UK and Ireland

Last week - Bermuda Championship 1 L Herbert (70-1), T2 P Reed (22-1), D Lee (160-1), 4 P Rodgers (50-1), T5 S Stallings (60-1), T Pendrith (50-1)

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 bare-chested 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 defeated Aaron Wise by a shot to land his second PGA Tour title

Weather forecast Sunny, warm and calm throughout, with temperatures peaking at 30C

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 troublespots waiting to punish the errant, precise 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

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