The World Wide Technology Championship course sets up as one of the most scoreable tests on the entire PGA Tour calendar, and that reputation is not just talk. El Cardonal at Diamante in Los Cabos, Mexico hosts 120 players this week for the fourth edition of the event on the Tiger Woods design, and the numbers from recent years back up its soft billing. Last year’s field averaged 68.900 strokes, and in two of the tournament’s three years as host, the par-72 layout ranked as the easiest among all par-72 courses that do not share hosting duties with another event. For a Tour stop landing in the FedExCup Fall portion of the schedule, that combination of birdie chances and playoff stakes makes this week worth watching closely.
A Course Built For Low Numbers
El Cardonal’s scoring reputation starts with its setup. The course carries no rough anywhere on the property, replaced instead by paspalum grass that runs wall to wall from tee to green. That alone removes one of golf’s most common scoring penalties: a wayward drive here rarely costs a player more than a slightly awkward angle into the green.
The greens reinforce the theme. They average 8,000 square feet, giving players large targets to aim at, and they never run faster than 11 feet on the Stimpmeter. Slower, generous greens mean fewer three-putts and more makeable birdie looks, which helps explain why scoring averages at El Cardonal have consistently sat below par.
Weather And Location Add A Wrinkle
El Cardonal sits directly along the Pacific Ocean, and that exposed position shapes how the course plays more than any bunker or water hazard. Wind off the water affects ball flight throughout the round, giving the layout a defense mechanism that generous fairways and soft greens do not provide on their own.
This week’s forecast calls for daytime highs in the lower 80s for the full tournament, with lighter breezes expected during the weekend rounds. Calmer wind late in the week typically favors the kind of aggressive, birdie-focused play that El Cardonal’s design already encourages, which could keep scores trending low into Sunday.
What’s At Stake In The FedExCup Fall
The low-scoring conditions matter in the context of the calendar as much as the course itself. For many PGA Tour members in this week’s field, the World Wide Technology Championship is one of only three remaining events before FedExCup standings determine who holds a card for the 2027 season. That stretch compresses the margin for error for players fighting to stay exempt, even on a course built to reward confident ball-striking.
A soft course does not guarantee easy decisions for players on the card bubble. Scores bunch tightly when a field averages under par, and a single poor round can be harder to overcome when so many competitors are posting red numbers. The same conditions that make El Cardonal appealing for low scoring also raise the cost of a single mistake late in the FedExCup Fall window.
The Counterpoint: Easy Does Not Mean Simple
Treating El Cardonal as a pushover ignores what the ocean exposure and FedExCup stakes actually do to the field. A course without rough still demands precision with approach shots, since players without a forgiving lie have no excuse for missing greens. And the Pacific wind, even when lighter on the weekend, can shift quickly enough to complicate club selection on exposed holes. Add the pressure of a near must-perform week for card-bubble players, and the tournament carries more tension than a 68.900 scoring average alone suggests.
What To Watch This Week
Weekend wind will be the swing factor. If the forecasted lighter breezes hold, expect scoring to trend even lower than last year’s 68.900 average, with the large, slow greens continuing to produce converted birdie putts rather than three-putt bogeys. Watch how card-bubble players handle the pressure of one of their final chances to lock up 2027 status, since a tournament built for low scores leaves little room for separation once the frontrunners start making turns under par.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
