News

First-Round Notes – November 15, 2019

Weather: Partly cloudy. High of 82. Wind NNW at 5-10 mph. Rain and thunderstorms prevented any play Thursday. After several delays to the scheduled 7 a.m. opening tee time, the decision was made at 1 p.m. Thursday to begin the first round at 7 a.m. Friday. The first round was delayed 30 minutes Friday while the course was being prepared, eventually beginning at 7:30 a.m. and being completed at 6:19 p.m.

First-Round Leaderboard

Danny Lee	62	(-9)
Brendon Todd	63	(-8)
Adam Long	63	(-8)

Things to Know

Danny Lee sets tournament-record birdie/eagle streak en route to tying his career-low round on TOUR
Brendon Todd is attempting to win in back-to-back starts
Mexico’s Abraham Ancer and Alvaro Ortiz sit T10 at 5-under
Five of the top seven players on the leaderboard are PGA TOUR winners
Two players scored aces at fourth hole – Cameron Tringale and Chase Seiffert – who were in back-to-back groups

Weather Notes

Preferred lies were utilized in the first round
The last time a round on the PGA TOUR was suspended without any play was the 2019 ZOZO Championship (second round)
The last time a first round on the PGA TOUR was suspended without any play was the 2013 Sentry Tournament of Champions
The last time play was suspended at the Mayakoba Golf Classic was 2017
This is the sixth year the Mayakoba Golf Classic, which began in 2007, has experienced weather delays (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019)

Comparing the top three (entering the week)

Category	Danny Lee	Brendon Todd	Adam Long
Age	29 (July 24,1990)	34 (July 22, 1985)	32 (September 25, 1987)
Country	New Zealand	United States	United States
FedExCup	14	17	53
OWGR	88	184	136
PGA TOUR starts	229	17	33
PGA TOUR wins	1	2	1
PGA TOUR top-10s	24	13	2

First-Round Lead Notes

3 – First-round leaders/co-leaders at the Mayakoba Golf Classic to win; Fred Funk/2007, Patton Kizzire/2017, Matt Kuchar/2018
1 – First-round leader/co-leader to win this season; Tiger Woods/ZOZO Championship

Danny Lee (62/1st)

Opening-round 62 (-9) included eight birdies, one eagle and one bogey, tying career-low on PGA TOUR (R3/2015 John Deere Classic). Hit 8 of 14 fairways, 16 of 18 greens and required 26 putts
Front-nine 29 (-7) ties his career-low nine-hole score, with his only other sub-30 score on TOUR also coming on the front nine at Mayakoba Golf Classic (R4/2014)
ive-hole birdie/eagle streak (B-E-B-B-B) on holes 4-8 marks his career-best (previous: 4 holes/R4/2017 CIMB Classic). Also marks best birdie/eagle streak in tournament history at Mayakoba Golf Classic (previous: 4 holes/8 times)
Holds first-round lead/co-lead for fifth time on PGA TOUR (previous four/result: 2012 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am/T25, 2014 Valspar Championship/MC, 2015 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational/T6, 2016 AT&T Byron Nelson/T18)
Joins Scottie Scheffler (Bermuda Championship) and Robby Shelton (A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier) with low first round this season
Makes seventh start at Mayakoba Golf Classic (2018/2, 2017/T25, 2016/WD, 2014/T3, 2013/MC, 2012/WD)
Credited with victories on five different Tours – 2015 A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier (PGA TOUR), 2011 WMB Golf Classic (Korn Ferry Tour), 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic (European Tour/PGA Tour of Australasia/Asian Tour)

Additional Notes

Winner of the Bermuda Championship in his last start, Brendon Todd (63/T2) posts his best score in his ninth trip around El Camaleon GC (previous best: 66/R2/2013); 38-under in his last six rounds on TOUR (66-68-63-67-62-63); Seeks to become first player to win back-to-back events since Bryson DeChambeau (2018 THE NORTHERN TRUST, 2018 Dell Technologies Championship)
In his 99th round on TOUR, Adam Long (63/T2) notched a career-best nine birdies in his first appearance at the Mayakoba Golf Classic (previous best: 8 birdies/R2/2019 A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier)
12-time PGA TOUR winner Zach Johnson (64/T4) is the best of five major champions in the field after the first round
In his seventh start on TOUR, PGA TOUR rookie Chris Baker (64/T4) posts his career-low round; Previous career-low was 66 (R1/2019 Bermuda Championship); Finished No. 15 on the Korn Ferry Tour Finals 25 and entering the 2019-20 season 31st in the final priority ranking; Previous-best position after any round on TOUR – T5/R1/2019 Safeway Open; His only made cut in six previous starts on TOUR was in his most recent start (T31/2019 Bermuda Championship)
Mexico’s first Presidents Cup participant Abraham Ancer (66/T10) opens with a par or better score for the fifth time in five starts at Mayakoba Golf Classic. The round marks his first bogey-free round in this tournament (15 rounds)
When Efren Serna, Jr. (76/T130), from Leon, Monday qualified, he became the seventh player from Mexico in the field, tying the most in tournament history (2012, 2014, 2018, 2019). Others are Abraham Ancer (66/T10), Roberto Diaz (73/T112), Alvaro Ortiz (66/T10), Carlos Ortiz (69/T44), Jose de Jesus Rodriguez (73/T112), Sebastian Vazquez (67/T24). Mexican-born Kristoffer Ventura (69/T44), who represents Norway, makes his first appearance at Mayakoba
Defending champion Matt Kuchar (69/T44) is one of six competitors this week who will make the trip to Australia for the Presidents Cup. Others are Tony Finau (70/T62), Abraham Ancer (66/T10), Jason Day (70/T62), Joaquin Niemann (76/T130), CT Pan (68/T31)
Chris Stroud (66/T10) is the only player in the field who has competed in all 13 editions of the Mayakoba Golf Classic
Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra (70/T62) is the lone amateur in the field. The 19-year-old from Spain plays college golf at Wake Forest and makes his PGA TOUR debut
Chris Kirk (70/T62) returned to the PGA TOUR for the first time since missing the cut at the 2019 Zurich Classic of New Orleans (April). Kirk stepped away from the TOUR to address issues with alcohol abuse and depression
With five birdies in the first round, FedExCup leader Lanto Griffin (71/T87) surpassed RSM Birdies Fore Love leader Sungjae Im. Before this week, Im sat atop the standings with 115 birdies, three more than Griffin (112). RSM Birdies Fore Love program awards the player with the most birdies (or better) during the Mayakoba Golf Classic a $50,000 donation to his charity of choice. The top three players who accumulate the most birdies (or better) in the fall, beginning with A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier and concluding with The RSM Classic, will be awarded $300,000, $150,000 and $50,000, respectively, for charitable donations to children- and/or family-focused organizations of the player’s choice

About RLH Properties

RLH Properties is a holding company dedicated to the acquisition, development and management of luxury and ultra-luxury hotel assets and associated residential assets. RLH Properties was established in Mexico City on February 28, 2013 with a focus on activities exclusively related to the high-end segment of the hotel business. Thus, it focuses on the acquisition and development of high-end segment hotel assets located in cities and on beaches that are situated in the main urban centers and tourist destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean. RLH has strategic locations that are difficult to replicate, with various barriers to entry and that are in low supply relative to current and potential demand. RLH has a flexible business model that seeks investment in AAA hotel assets operated by various internationally prestigious hotel brands. Currently in its portfolio, RLH owns Mayakoba, Mandarina, Four Seasons Mexico City, and Villa Magna in Madrid.

About Mayakoba

Nestled in the Mexican Riviera Maya, Mayakoba is a 620-acre destination surrounded by the natural beauty of lagoons, jungle, tranquil waters and a sugar sand beach. Four meaningfully placed luxury hotels can be found within Mayakoba — Andaz Mayakoba, Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Fairmont Mayakoba and Rosewood Mayakoba — each with distinct personalities and amenities, perfectly complementing one another. Within the coveted destination are a wealth of lifestyle experiences including four acclaimed spas, more than 23 restaurants with eclectic cuisines and a village square that serves as an event space modeled after the historic Colonial plazas in Mexico. In addition, guests have access to a three-mile-long nature trail and spectacular 18-hole golf course designed by renowned architect and PGA TOUR legend Greg Norman, which is home to the Mayakoba Golf Classic, first PGA TOUR tournament in Mexico.