As the first of the four World Golf Championship events of 2018 gets under way at Chapultepec Golf Club, here are the key facts you need to know about the WGC-Mexico Championship.
1.On top of the world:A who’s who of world golf is gathering in Mexico City, with 45 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking teeing it up this week, including World Number One Dustin Johnson. The 2017 Race to Dubai winner Tommy Fleetwood is joined in the field by current leader Shubhankar Sharma, with the 21 year old aiming for another strong performance to bolster his bid to seal a place at his maiden Masters Tournament.
2.History boys:If Justin Rose wins the title this week, he would join Johnson and Tiger Woods as the only players to win consecutive WGC titles, following his victory in the 2017 WGC-HSBC Champions. Defending champion Johnson is the second most prolific player in WGC history, behind Tiger Woods. With his five titles he has some way to go to overtake Woods’ 18 WGC victories, but if he successfully defends his title he would become only the second player in WGC history to do so - although Woods has achieved the feat eight times.
3.Pastures new:Of the 36 European Tour Members competing this week, ten will be playing the WGC-Mexico Championship for the first time: Dean Burmester, Jorge Campillo, Paul Dunne, Dylan Frittelli, Gavin Green, Li Haotong, Wade Ormsby, Chris Paisley, Shubhankar Sharma and Peter Uihlein. Of those ten, five are making their WGC debut: Campillo, Frittelli, Ormsby, Paisley and Sharma.
4.High and mighty:At 7,300 feet above sea level, Chapultepec Golf Club will present an interesting challenge for the world’s best golfers this week. The altitude means that the ball will travel further than normal, leading to the course being designed in such a way as to reward precision over distance. Tight tee shots are coupled with tricky greens, which slope down towards the city. Tightly-clustered trees line the fairways, punishing errant tee shots and leaving little choice but to punch the ball back into the fairway rather than take on the green.
5.Hola, amigo:First played in 1999, the WGC-Mexico Championship has had a number of guises over the years. Most recently known as the WGC-Cadillac Championship, the tournament was previously contested in the USA. When it settled into its new home at Chapultepec Golf Club in 2017, it became the first official European Tour event to be held in Mexico.
