Spectacular final rounds and dramatic finishing holes have been staples of the PGA-sponsored World Wide Technology Championship (WWTC) since the tournament relocated to the Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal course in Cabo San Lucas.
In 2023, the first year the tournament moved to Los Cabos after 16 years on the Riviera Maya, Erik van Rooyen shot a scintillating 63 on Sunday, capped by an eagle on the 18th hole to earn the win, edging out Matt Kuchar and Camilo Villegas by two shots. In 2024, Austin Eckroat likewise fired a final round 63 and needed all 11 of his birdies to hold off charging challengers. After bogeying the 18th, he had to watch as Carson Young, playing in the group behind, had a 40-foot eagle putt that would have secured the win. It narrowly missed and Eckroat was the one who hoisted the trophy and pocketed the winner’s check for US $1,296,000.
Will 2025 offer similar drama? Based on the course layout and its concluding par-5, plus the quality of the field, this year’s tournament should be just as exciting when it returns to El Cardonal on Nov. 6-9.
Who’s playing the WWTC in 2025?
If you loved the spectacle of the 2025 Ryder Cup, with the U.S. mounting a furious final day charge before falling to the European team 15-13 at Bethpage Black on Long Island, New York, you’ll likely love the WWTC, too. That’s because some of the same faces will be present. J.J. Spaun, winner of the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont and a member of the Ryder Cup team, has already committed to play in the WWTC. So has Ben Griffin, who won twice on the PGA Tour this year before competing in the Ryder Cup. The two players are currently #6 and #11 in the world rankings.
Luke Donald, the captain of the last two European Ryder Cup teams, both victorious, will also play in Los Cabos, as will Tony Finau, a former Ryder Cup winning team member in 2021 and a six-time winner on the PGA Tour, including at the 2023 Mexico Open. Past champions Austin Eckroat, Erik van Rooyen and Matt Kuchar have also committed. As have Latin American players Camilo Villegas and Nico Echavarría of Colombia, Emiliano Grillo of Argentina and Rafa Campos of Puerto Rico; and Canadians Nick Taylor, Adam Hadwin and Mackenzie Hughes.
The WWTC also has a history of including Mexican players, although qualifiers for these spots have not yet been announced. The tournament field won’t be finalized until Oct. 31.
What is the FedEx fall schedule?
Regular-season tournaments and the concluding FedEx Cup Playoffs comprise the meat of the PGA’s annual tournament schedule. But the FedEx Cup Fall schedule, which features seven tournaments from September through November, offers a concluding flurry, as tour members fight to keep their cards and playing privileges for the following year.
In 2026, for example, only the top 100 golfers from the FedEx standings this year will remain fully exempt. That number is down from 125 golfers previously, meaning the competition among golfers to keep their cards is more intense than ever. Pair that with the dramatic set-up of Tiger Woods’ El Cardonal course and it’s a recipe for an exciting tournament, as the last two editions have shown.
Notably, winners of these seven tournaments — three of which are held outside the U.S., in Japan, Bermuda and Mexico, respectively — get a two-year tour exemption and 500 FedEx points, not to mention, in the case of the WWTC, a trophy shaped like Cabo San Lucas’ iconic Arch, and a check for $1.08 million from the $6 million overall purse. That’s actually a decrease from the purse and winner’s share of the last two, as these were lowered to bring them in line with other FedEx Cup Fall events.
What’s notable about the El Cardonal course
El Cardonal at Diamante, an upscale residential and resort development on the Pacific Coast of Cabo San Lucas, was the first course ever designed by Tiger Woods, a legendary champion with 82 career victories and 15 major titles on the PGA Tour.
El Cardonal opened in 2014 and was inspired by the “Old California” courses that Woods grew up playing. It offers unique challenges to tour pros, as well as excellent chances to score, despite its 7,363-yard length. Bookend par-5 holes at the 1st and 18th provide scoring opportunities at the beginning and ends of the rounds, and the fairways are wide. However, players must also contend with elevation changes, desert arroyos instead of traditional rough, and platinum paspalum greens that are larger than the tour average, introducing an added layer of strategic complexity when it comes to pin placements.
Woods went on to add a 12-hole Oasis Short Course in 2016. His restaurant, The Woods Cabo, opened in late 2023, and his exclusive Legacy Club course is expected to open by the end of 2026, taking over as host of the WWTC by 2027. So his commitment to the Diamante development, where he has a home, is clear.
Amenity upgrades for spectators and how to watch
The spectator experience for the WWTC will be better than ever in 2025, thanks to several upgrades. Most notable is a Fan Zone featuring food and games. VIP areas on the 17th and 18th — the former hosted by La Lupita tacos — will return, and El Cardonal will also host a golf clinic for kids, as well as a Pro-Am that takes place the week of the WWTC.
General admission tickets are available now for the tournament and will cost US $35 per day or $139 for the entirety of the four-day competition. Admission to the VIP area Tacos on 17 by La Lupita is $199; $399 ($499 on the weekend) for the Skybox overlooking the 18th hole. Access to the clubhouse atmosphere at The Woods Cabo, meanwhile, is available from $139 per day.
For those unable to attend the tournament, it will be televised by Golf Channel and Golf Channel Latin America in more than 220 countries and territories.
Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily.
