The Worldwide Technology Championship: Tony Finau Has Two Wins in His Last Five Starts

• The PGA TOUR heads to El Camaleon in Mexico for a 16th time 
• The Greg Norman course is a short par 71 measuring under 7,100 yards
• Norway’s Viktor Hovland is seeking a three-peat after wins in 2020 and 2021

The Worldwide Technology Championship Odds

The odds for this tournament are provided by  Caesars Sportsbook. Click on the odds below to head to Caesars and place a bet.

The Worldwide Technology Championship Our Picks

Tony Finau has two wins in his last five starts, two top 10s here and a second place on his last visit to Mexico. Back him for the win at +1800 with bet365.

Brendon Todd and Matt Kuchar are both winners here but Todd’s putting and recent play is superior. Back Todd to win a 72-hole match bet at -120 with DraftKings Sportsbook.

Maverick McNealy has course form of 26-12-11 and returns showing strong form after a trio of top 20s. Back the American for Top 10 at +333 with bet365. 

The Worldwide Technology Championship Predictions

For the 16th time, the PGA TOUR heads to Riviera Maya in Mexico for, to give the event its full title, the Worldwide Technology Championship at Mayakoba.

However, the future of the event remains uncertain as the course, El Camaleon, was designed by Greg Norman.

With the Aussie still at loggerheads with the PGA TOUR, reports suggest that Norman’s LIV Golf project will pitch up here next year, knocking it off the schedule.

If this is the last edition as we know it, at least the field is a good one.

Viktor Hovland seeks a three-peat after victories in 2020 (by one) and 2021 (by four).

Joining him are World No.2 Scottie Scheffler, double Major winner Collin Morikawa and two other members of the United States’ winning Presidents Cup team at Quail Hollow: Tony Finau and Billy Horschel. 

But absent this year are two players who the local crowds would have flocked to see. Mexicans Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz, the latter twice a runner-up in this event, are LIV defectors so don’t have a place in the field.

The course is a par 71 measuring 7,034 yards and the birdie count needs to be high.

Hovland won with 23-under and 20-under while the two winners before the Norwegian, Brendon Todd and Matt Kuchar, fired 20-under and 22-under respectively. 

The course is set by the coast although runs inland at times and features small Paspalum greens.

Accuracy tends to be more important than length while most winners emerge with impressive Greens In Regulation stats (this is an event where Shot Link data isn’t recorded).

Short game is also rewarded so Scrambling and Putting Average are other key metrics.

Finally, before Hovland’s two wins, 13 of the previous 14 champions here were American. The only one to break that trend was Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell.  

Finau for the Win

Not that long ago, backing Tony Finau to win at a relatively short price wouldn’t have made much sense.

But the popular American has two victories in his latest five starts and three in his last 39. In that streak he’s also twice finished runner-up.

Those recent ‘W’s came at the 3M Open and the Rocket Mortgage Classic. He shot 17-under at the former and 26-under in the latter so going low has been a recent speciality.

Finau’s first PGA TOUR win, the one that remained his only victory for so long, came at the Puerto Rico Open. That was also held on Paspalum grass.

So what of his record here?

Finau was seventh on debut and eighth in 2020. He also made the top 20 in 2018.

In addition, one of his near misses this season came on another visit to the country when he finished runner-up at May’s Mexico Open.

Finau was last seen winning three matches out of four in the Presidents Cup and given his strong record in seaside events, he’s well worth a bet for the win at +1800 with bet365. 

Todd to Outscore Kuchar

Brendon Todd v Matt Kuchar looks an interesting match-up over 72 holes as it pitches the 2019 winner against the 2018 champion.

But it’s Todd that convinces most this week.

The younger of the two Americans - Todd is 37, Kuchar 44 - followed his victory here in 2019 with an eighth when defending in 2020 and an 11th last year, breaking 70 in all those 12 rounds.

Kuchar has also played pretty well since his win, posting 14th and 22nd in two subsequent visits.

But Todd shot the lower 72-hole score on the last two occasions when both pegged it up here and he’s also had the edge over Kuchar in recent events this season.

Todd was seventh at the CJ Cup last time and ninth at the Fortinet Championship while Kuchar was 29th and 12th in those two events.

Finally, Todd’s putter looks far more reliable. He’s over 100 places above Kuchar in this season’s Strokes Gained: Putting stats.

It’s easy to see why they’ve been paired together but, on closer inspection, it’s Todd who holds all the aces.

Back Todd to outscore Kuchar at -120 with DraftKings Sportsbook.

Take McNealy for a Top 10 

Maverick McNealy is a big fan of El Camaleon and followed his 26th on debut in 2019 with 12th in 2020 and 11th last year.

Looking at round scores, he twirled a Saturday 63 in 2020 and closed with a 64 last year.

As well as having course horse credentials, the 26-year-old Californian has also opened the season strongly.

In three October starts he was 10th at the Shriners Childrens Open, 12th at the ZOZO Championship and 18th at the CJ Cup. Three times he carded 64s in that run.

He’s wielding a hot putter and DraftKings Sportsbook are taking evasive action with their Top 10 odds of +210. 

But bet365 offers him at +333 in the same market and that’s definitely betting material.

The Worldwide Technology Championship Information

• Tournament - The Worldwide Technology Championship

• Location - El Camaleon Golf Course at Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, Mexico

• Time - Thursday November 03 - Sunday November 06

• How to Watch - Thursday-Saturday 3pm-6pm ET (Golf Channel), Sunday 2pm-5pm (Golf Channel). All 4 days on Sky Sports