2024 WWT Championship: Top 10 power rankings at El Cardonal

With extravagant resorts, stunning shorelines, and bustling nightlife, Cabo San Lucas acts as an escape for Americans each year, a place of refuge and relaxation.

Similarly, golf acts as a stress reliever for many, and the course provides a break from the often straining ins and outs of daily life. Is it a coincidence that the PGA Tour heads to Mexico on a week when many Americans are wrapped in the chaos of the upcoming election? Yes -- and perhaps the PGA Tour can offer a respite from the drama.

The 2024 WWT Championship marks the second straight Tour event held outside of American soil, following a thrilling finish to the Zozo Championship in Japan two weeks ago. The FedEx Cup Fall is wrapping up, as only three events remain.

Nico Echavarria catapulted from 113th place to 65th in the standings, and he now finds himself in a position to climb into the top 60, which would place him in two early-season signature events via the AON Next 10. Others will look to do the same this week south of the border.

The highly acclaimed Tiger Woods design, El Cardonal at Diamante, is the host for the 2024 WWT Championship

Yes -- you read that correctly. El Cardonal at Diamante is designed by none other than the great Tiger Woods. Woods has recently immersed himself in the world of golf course design, and El Cardonal at Diamante was his team's first, designed in 2014.

The result? A truly unique layout with cacti dotting the property, demanding terrain, and striking views of the Pacific Ocean. Woods designed it "to remind people of the old-style California courses." This venue is an ode to his childhood and the courses he grew up playing in Southern California.

On the course website, Woods explains, “There are going to be different ways to play every hole. Angles of approach are going to be very important and will dictate the type of shots you should consider. I love this kind of golf.” It is certainly fitting that Woods's course necessitates strategic thinking.

As a 7,363-yard, par-72 layout, the course will not challenge players with its length. The fairways are long but shaped by the bumpy Cabo terrain. Similarly, the greens are enormous but are undulating and askew. Black Desert Resort, which made its grand introduction to the golf world earlier this fall, is a logical course comparison, with its inviting fairways and greens.

The two most important criteria this week are ball-striking and putting. Erik van Rooyen won at 27 under par in last year's event, and you can expect another low-scoring affair.

Let's see who has the upper hand in Cabo.

2024 WWT Championship Power Rankings

10) Nico Echavarria

The latest member of the FedEx Cup Fall winner's circle may be remembered more for his role in extending Justin Thomas's winless drought that is approaching two and a half years. But give credit where credit is due -- he showed guts down the stretch in Japan. Do not be surprised if the Colombian finds himself in the top 60 of the standings by fall's end.

9) Erik van Rooyen

He wore his heart on his sleeve in 2023's edition -- one of the more heartfelt moments in golf's recent memory. EVR looks to retain his spot on the throne this week but slouches into Mexico in forgetful form. It's been nine consecutive events of finishes outside the top ten, so the odds are stacked against the 29-year-old. But then again, last year's effort shows that miracles do happen.

8) Beau Hossler

Hossler and the fall swing go hand-in-hand, like Texas and perpetual CFB disappointment. The former Longhorn has enjoyed a healthy fall, highlighted by a runner-up finish at the Sanderson Farms Championship. He turns 30 in a few months, and you have to imagine he is as determined as ever to capture the much-elusive first Tour victory.

7) Matt Kuchar

Kuchar's defining golf moment (or, more accurately, the public's defining moment of him) came in this tournament six years ago, where he infamously stiffed his caddie. But for whatever reason, the vet relishes his time in Mexico: the aforementioned 2018 victory at Mayakoba and a T2 finish at El Cardonal demonstrate that. His current form remains wanting, but the strokes gained numbers since the summer are encouraging. Bank on him finding his footing in a place so familiar.

6) Cameron Young

You'll often find him in the best-players-without-a-win category. He is just 27, but the clock is ticking for Cam Young. The WWT Championship will be one of the weakest fields he played in, so there is no doubt he recognizes that this week's event is an opportunity. It was just a couple of years ago when golf circles were whispering about how many majors Young would win. He finished T54 in his initial appearance last year.

5) J.J. Spaun

To say 2024 was a tale of two seasons for Spaun would be an understatement. The American had missed 10 out of 15 cuts prior to the Rocket Mortgage Classic in June. Since then, he has three finishes in the top ten, capped off by a T6 in a loaded field at the Zozo Championship.

4) Harris English

It is well established that English's game is suited for big-boy courses -- the Winged Foot's and Torrey Pines's of the world. But few can say they have won in Mexico; English can, with his victory at Mayakoba in 2011. 11 years later, he comes in surging, with T6 and T9 finishes in his last two starts.

3) Matti Schmid

Regensburg, Germany, is a long way away from Cabo, but Schmid's tremendous talent has carried him this far. Schmid is just scratching the surface of the loads of potential he possesses; the German turns 27 later this month, and it is a smart bet that his first Tour victory comes before his 30th birthday. T5 and T3 finishes in Schmid's last two starts should have him eager to tee it up at El Cardonal.

2) Max Greyserman

Greyserman's closing stretch at the 3M Open wrenched viewers' hearts across the country, but to use his words, "Hopefully it'll be [my] time next time." The Zozo presented another opportunity for it to be "his time," but he squandered it with a wayward drive on the 18th hole. However, another T2 -- his third runner-up in his last five finishes -- shows his capabilities at the moment.

1) Lucas Glover

Glover continues to show that Father Time is no match for the 45-year-old. The fall swing has been kind to him, with a pair of T3 finishes in his last two starts. Especially of note was his performance at the Black Desert Championship -- a comparable course to El Cardonal -- where he paced the field in strokes gained on approach shots. Glover was the talk of America last summer. He will look to become the talk of another country this week.