Riviera Maya To Host Mexico's First PGA Tour Event
Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya | The Riviera Maya Tourist Board today announces that the destination 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 7,067-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.”
The Mayakoba Resort features five hotels along with luxury villas, pristine beaches, spas, golf course and restaurants, all on a property offering a very diverse ecosystem.
The PGA TOUR is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers. Its primary purpose is to provide competitive earnings opportunities for past, current and future members of the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour; to protect the integrity of the game; and to help grow the reach of the game in the U.S. and around the world. The PGA TOUR’s web site address is www.pgatour.com and the company is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
The eighty-one mile stretch known as the Riviera Maya is situated in the Mexican Caribbean on the coastline of the Yucatan Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Beginning eleven miles south of the Cancun International Airport in Puerto Morelos, the Riviera Maya extends to Felipe Carrillo Puerto, a small town near the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. The region features the tranquility of uncrowded beaches, a vast network of underground rivers, over 100 cenotes, the action of eco-adventure sports including kayaking, mountain biking, scuba diving, snorkeling, trekking, bird watching and deep sea fishing, proximity to many of Mexico's most significant Mayan archeological sites, the varied activities of the eco-archeological parks, plus golf courses, shopping, gourmet dining and a range of accommodations to suit every lifestyle and budget.
For more information on the Riviera Maya call 1-877-7GO MAYA, e-mail info@rivieramaya.com or visit www.rivieramaya.com.
