Updated Nov. 4, 2026, 12:35 p.m. ET
The 2026 World Wide Technology Championship will be held at El Cardonal at Diamante in Cabo San Lucas.Golfweek staffers have made their predictions for the outright winner of the tournament.Picks include past winner Erik van Rooyen, rookie Jackson Koivun, and longshot Tom Hoge.Other selections for the top spot are Ben James, Ben Griffin, and Chris Ventura.
The 2026 World Wide Technology Championship tees off on Thursday, Nov. 5, from El Cardonal at Diamante in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California. Golfweek staffers have locked in our best picks to win this weekend. Here’s who we expect to sit atop the leaderboard when play ends on Sunday.
Follow along with all the action this week with Golfweek and USA Today Sports for a live leaderboard, golfer rankings and money list.
World Wide Technology Championship Outright WinnerAdam Schupak: Jackson Koivun (+1800)
Switching from one PGA Tour U stud in Ben James for my weekly pick to his pal Koivun this week. Koivun already showed he can win a birdie-fest at the 3M Open, where he earned his maiden victory and 29-under did the trick last year. With fairways wider than Cabo’s airport runway at El Cardonal, precision iron play and deadly putting will be the difference and that plays into Koivun’s hands.
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A former colleague always liked to bet the first person in the field he saw at a tournament — he scored a big once seeing Todd Hamilton on his flight to the 2004 British Open — and for me this week that was Chris Kirk, who was sitting in first class with his wife. If that isn’t enough to convince you to back Kirk, he has made seven straight cuts and recorded two top 10s in the fall as he battles to make the top 100. [He’s No. 109 so work still to do.]
Todd Kelly: Erik van Rooyen (+8000)
Going deep into the well for this pick. EVR’s last win was the 2023 WWT and he’s in need of another PGA Tour win ASAP. He’s down to 217 in the OWGR and he’s 146 in the FEC standings. He rallied from two down with three to play and made eagle at the last three years ago. Let’s see if there is some more magic at Tiger’s track in Cabo.
Cameron Jourdan: Ben James (+1800)
Not the first time I have picked Ben James this fall, and I may keep doing it until he gets his first PGA Tour win. He has made 10 of 12 cuts since turning pro this summer and had four top-5 finishes. It’s only a matter of time before he breaks through. Why not this week?
Nick Stavas: Ben Griffin (+1400)
I took Griffin to win last week, and if it weren’t for Andrew Novak so rudely dusting the field, it would have been a really close call on Sunday. But close calls don’t cut it when you’re trying to pick winners. I think Benny Booms rides the momentum of that top-5 finish and pays off his two-week stay in Mexico with a fourth career PGA Tour win and a title defense at El Cardonal.
Jason Lusk: Jackson Koivun (+1800)
The 21-year-old already has one victory and three top-10s in his nine events since joining the Tour. He has the game to win anywhere, with positive strokes gained in every major category, even though he hasn’t played enough rounds to be in the rankings of those categories. This isn’t the strongest field at El Cardonal in Mexico, and it’s a perfect opportunity for the rookie to notch a second title.
Tim Schmitt: Tom Hoge (+10000)
Looking for a longshot? Hoge’s driver is killing him, but his approach game is always on point, and he’s currently in the top 40 in that stat. El Cardonal brings players like Hoge into the fold because the driver isn’t the deciding club. Don’t be surprised if Hoge takes advantage.
David Dusek: Kris Ventura (+3500)
I have a confession to make. I’m a sucker for yacht rock. Ideally in the summer, but it doesn’t really matter. When America’s “Ventura Highway” comes on the radio, the windows come down and I’m singing, much to the embarrassment of my 17-year-old daughter. Whenever I see Ventura’s name on a tee time sheet, I hear that song in my mind, and with my track record this season picking winners, that’s as good a reason as any to pick him to win this week.
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