You’d better go low to win the World Wide Technology Championship on the El Cardonal course at Diamante in Mexico.
The first winner was the South African Erik Van Rooyen in 2023 with a 72-hole total of 27-under and Austin Eckroat amassed a 24-under tally when winning 12 months ago. Moreover, they both clattered final rounds of 9-under 63.
Heading into the final round of this year’s renewal the two pacesetters are on target to maintain that kind of scoring and went low on Saturday to do so. Van Rooyen’s compatriot Garrick Higgo leads on 22-under after a third round 61 and Carson Young is alone in second on 21-under after carding a 63.
They will need to thrash the birdies to lift the trophy, however, because Trevor Cone, Chad Ramey and Ben Griffin share third on 20-under with Finland’s Sami Valimaki solo sixth on 19-under and Germany’s Matti Schmid alone in seventh on 18-under.
Higgo’s inspirations this week have been marvellously varied. Most straightforwardly, he is in good form having finished top seven in each of his last three starts. He’s also happy to be fit after he had injury problems in the aftermath of his second PGA Tour win in April.
Twelve months ago he was sixth in this event so he can negotiate the course and he also played the first two rounds this week with Eckroat and Van Rooyen so he’s looking to wrap up the hat trick. Finally there is his reading – the works of Viktor Frankl, the Austrian philosopher who had a particular interest in existential analysis and was part of the third school of Vienna Psychotherapy alongside Sigmund Freud. Birdies ought to be a doddle unless he starts wondering about the point of them.
Higgo is the 6/4 favourite with Griffin, a two-time winner this year looking to join Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler as three-time winners, is second favourite at 7/2.
He’s also excited about his position, explaining that: “In my PGA Tour career I haven’t been in that many second-to-last or third-to-last groups. I feel like I’ve either been four or five back, a really long shot or I’m in that final group. So I’m actually excited to be a chaser tomorrow. I can make eagle on the first hole tomorrow, and all of a sudden, I’m tied for the lead.
I’m excited for that. Hopefully post a number, apply some pressure on the guys behind me.” It’s a potentially excellent mentality, and a dangerous one for those around him because, other than Higgo, the top seven are all seeking a first PGA Tour win.
Young knows all about the test. He was ninth in the first edition two years ago and a second round 61 helped him into a share of the 54-hole lead. His final round 65 was only good for second, however. It was the second of his three chances in events of this quality. Back in early 2023 he led the Puerto Rico Open through 36 holes before finishing third and in this year’s Myrtle Beach Classic he led by one with 18 holes to play until a 73 left him T13. He’s 5/1.
Cone and Ramey look about right at 10/1 and 8/1 but there might be a touch of value in SAMI VALIMAKI at 16/1. Followers of Ben Coley will have fond memories of the Finn winning the 2022 Oman Open shortly after he impressed with seventh in the Vic Open – both were on wide-ish tracks among the sand as this week and it’s been a trend throughout his career.
The first time he headed to the DP World Tour Championship he warmed up with a 65 on the Fire Course at Jumeirah then was fifth on the Earth Course. He won the Qatar Masters in late 2023 and after claiming his PGA Tour card he opened the 2024 season with second in the Mexico Open, sitting in the top two all week but denied by Jake Knapp.
He entered this week ranked 103rd in the FedEx Fall and knowing he needed something to get inside the top 100, although he has ensured he has playing rights on the DP World Tour so he does have a back-up. He changed his driver recently (although he admits he likes this week’s course because accuracy doesn’t matter much) and also returned to an old putter. He’s well up to a good crack at this.
We’ll add BEN GRIFFIN as a saver because that attitude looks good and he talked happily about his wider outlook. “I knew that when I finally broke through for the win it was going to build confidence,” he said.
“You see so many guys out here win and then they go on a little run and they win a couple times. I knew that was going to happen with me. I just had that belief. It’s not like a cocky belief, but it’s just one of those things you have to have out here.”
Posted at 1012 GMT on 09/11/25
