Riviera Maya to Host PGA Event
RIVIERA MAYA, Mexico, February 1, 2006. The Riviera Maya has been selected to host the first ever official PGA TOUR event to be held in Mexico, the Mayakoba Classic, from February 19-25, 2007.
The tournament will be contested on the 7067-yard El Camaleon course at the Mayakoba Resort, the first Greg Norman designed golf course in Mexico. Managed by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, the course is a par-72 layout spread across a fascinating mix of scenery that includes jungle, dense mangrove and oceanfront holes bisected by limestone canals. The tournament will offer a purse of US $3.5 million. The field will consist of 132 players and the winner will take home $630,000. All four days of action will be broadcast on The Golf Channel.
"We are very honored and pleased that the PGA TOUR has chosen Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo, to host the first-ever official PGA TOUR tournament in Mexico," said Lic. Felix Gonzalez Canto, Governor of Quintana Roo, Mexico.
"The event will give us a perfect opportunity to highlight not only the beauty of the region, but also our golf courses, since the sport of golf is a growing and important component of our overall tourism product. Also, we have an excellent hotel infrastructure in place to readily accommodate such a large and prestigious event."
"The PGA TOUR is very excited about making golf history in Mexico," added PGA TOUR Commissioner Timothy W. Finchem.
"One of our goals is to expand the reach of golf and the Riviera Maya region of Mexico has demonstrated a growing passion for the sport. We are pleased to be able to showcase our players to the destination, and in turn showcase the destination to the world."
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