Power Rankings: Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun

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The first of four double-dippers is upon us; that is, if you don't count the Viking Classic opposite the Ryder Cup in the fall. But don't let the diluted fields of these shadow events fool you. Every one of the host courses employed to challenge the rank and file stands its ground.

First, perhaps no course on the PGA TOUR offers a more eponymous description than El Camaleon, host of this week's Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun. With so many unique geographical features, it could be mistaken for a tourist attraction with 18 holes. From the jungle to the mangroves to the beach to the cenote in the middle of the fairway on the first hole, El Camaleon most certainly transforms.

The beauty and wonder of El Camaleon puts the grin in grind, but it is much more of the latter. The par-70 played as the 14th-most difficult in relation to par in all of 2009, at +0.642. By comparison, Augusta National and East Lake ranked 15th and 16th, respectively. The short list of champions here is a Who's Who among short-hitting, ball-striking veterans - Fred Funk, Brian Gay and Mark Wilson. There is no reason to believe that the formula will be any different this week. That's one element that won't change.

A reasonable threat of rain moves in late on Friday and could affect weekend play. Coastal breezes will add to the challenge as always at this event. High temps will range into the upper-70s.

Power Rankings: Mayakoba Golf Classic

Rank Player   Comment K.J. CHOI Choi is making his first appearance at Mayakoba. Sits 10th in ball-striking this year and is off to his usual strong start, cashing four times in as many events, with a pair of top 25s. Heath SLOCUM His T3 here a year ago is his second-best finish anywhere in three years. Perfect game for the course as he's third in fairway hits and second in GIR this year. That will allow for ample birdie looks. He had 19 birdies here last year, tied for third-most. Mark WILSON The defending champ will never thrive on a week-to-week basis. He's a horse-for-course guy that will occasionally get hot with his putter and crash a party atop a leaderboard with the longer hitters. He finished T16 in greens hit and T4 in putting in '09. Steve ELKINGTON Elk is laying the foundation for a Comeback Player of the Year nomination. With a T15 and T16 in two starts, he's already banked over 73 percent of what he earned in all of 2009. He's 18th in ball-striking and finished T18 in his one appearance here (2007). Kevin STADLER He's getting closer to the promised land primarily because he's becoming more consistent week to week, round to round. K-Stads has cashed in all three previous starts here and has two top 20s. He's also 12th in greens hit in 2010. David DUVAL Do not adjust your monitor. The enigmatic veteran was T11 in greens hit at the AT&T and fifth in putting. He's never played here, but had I excluded him, I didn't want you looking at me like I had two heads instead of the one big one to which you're already treated. Billy MAYFAIR He's only one year removed from racking up $1.75 million in earnings and a trip to THE TOUR Championship. A disastrous 2009 plummeted him into Past Champion status but El Camaleon caters to his ball-striking. It will be his first appearance in this event. Briny BAIRD Hardly tearing it up due to a trusty-to-rusty iron game, but he has a pair of top 15s here, including a T6 last year. With two paydays in three starts this year, including a T12 at the Sony Open, he's not far from putting it all together for four rounds. Josh TEATER Contrary to a certain infomercial, I'm not hung up on Teater. And I won't feel great if he's in the 70s this week. Rather, as low-rookie at Pebble, he ekes into the Rankings for co-leading that field in GIR. As a rule, rookies do not fare well at this event. Pablo MARTIN Since winning the European Tour's Alfred Dunhill Championship in December, he's tailed off but it can be expected from a 23-year-old. His youth can also explain the learning curve at the Mayakoba, where he's 1-for-2 (T63, 2007).