Los Cabos is marking two decades as a stop on the PGA Tour this week, as the World Wide Technology Championship tees off Thursday at El Cardonal at Diamante. It’s the 20th edition of the tournament, which started in 2007 and has run every year since without interruption — a rarity for an international stop on the Tour calendar.
This year’s purse is $6 million, with the winner taking home $1.08 million. By comparison, the total purse in 2007 was $3.5 million, according to tournament director Joe Mazzeo, who spoke to El Universal ahead of this year’s event.
Why the Anniversary Matters
Mazzeo has been with the tournament since 2007 in various roles before becoming director, and he says the 20-year mark is something he never expected to be celebrating.
“Celebrating these 20 years means enjoying achievements I never could have imagined. If 20 years ago, when we held this tournament’s first press conference, someone had told us we’d be talking about this anniversary, I wouldn’t have believed it,” Mazzeo said.
He added that watching the event grow into something broadcast worldwide, rather than just surviving, is what stands out most. “Being part of that, and seeing how many people have embraced and supported it — not just to keep it going, but to help it reach the success it has — leaves me speechless. It’s incredible,” he said.
El Cardonal’s Role in the Tournament’s Identity
The course itself has become part of the story. El Cardonal, a par-72 layout measuring 7,452 yards, was the first course ever designed by Tiger Woods and sits on the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas inside the Diamante resort. This is the fourth straight year the championship has used the course, which features a dramatic 240-foot elevation drop between the 17th tee and the third fairway.
Diamante announced earlier this year that Woods’ design firm will add a third course to the property, joining El Cardonal and the 12-hole Oasis par-3 course that opened in 2016. For a tournament that first returned to Los Cabos as a fixture on the fall schedule, the continued investment in the host course signals the region’s standing in professional golf isn’t going anywhere.
Who’s in the Field
Ben Griffin returns as defending champion after setting the tournament’s 72-hole scoring record last year at 259. A win this week would make him the first repeat champion since Viktor Hovland in 2020-21. Ryan Gerard, ranked No. 23 in the world, is the highest-ranked player in the field, while young players Jackson Koivun, Ben James and Blades Brown are also competing.
European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald is making just his second PGA Tour start of the season on a sponsor exemption, and amateur standout Preston Stout earned his spot by winning the 2026 Cabo Collegiate. Mexican golfers Camilo Villegas, Jorge Villar, Alejandro Madariaga and Alvaro Ortiz round out the local representation — a lineup that continues a tradition of the tournament giving Mexican players a path onto the PGA Tour, one that in past years has also benefited the broader community through tournament-linked donations, including a past gift to Los Cabos’s DIF family services agency.
What’s Next for the Tournament
Starting in 2028, the PGA Tour plans to restructure its schedule into two merit-based divisions with promotion and relegation between them. Mazzeo confirmed the World Wide Technology Championship will remain on the calendar regardless of how that shakeup plays out.
“Our track record speaks for itself. 2028 is the year a lot will change on the PGA Tour, with two series, so there will be plenty of restructuring, but the World Wide Technology Championship is staying,” Mazzeo said.
Rounds run Thursday through Sunday, with coverage on the Golf Channel from 3 to 6 p.m. Eastern time each day. For anyone in Los Cabos this week, El Cardonal is open to spectators during tournament play, offering a rare close-up look at PGA Tour golf without having to leave the Pacific coast of Cabo San Lucas.
