Former world number one Justin Thomas has slipped to seventh in the world rankings, but the Kentucky man is the clear favourite for the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba this week.
Thomas, who scored two and a half points from four matches in the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in September, returned to action with a low-key effort in the CJ Cup in Las Vegas.
Flying Finish Brings Favour
A slow start left him tailed off in the CJ Cup, before a closing round of 64 hauled him up to 18th place.
Whether that flying finish in Vegas means Thomas should command odds of 11/1 in Mexico this week is open to debate.
Last year he carded a third-round 62 at El Camaleon, but failed to sparkle on the other three days, sharing 12th spot on Sunday.
Loose drives are severely punished at the Mayakoba venue, so the favourite will need to focus intensely.
It remains to be seen whether he has got the appetite for the challenge at the end of a long season.
Ancer Looking to Thrill Supportive Galleries
One man for whom motivation and concentration is surely not an issue this week is Abraham Ancer, who is desperate to thrill the Mexican galleries with a home win.
Ancer has been well fancied for this event in the past – because El Camaleon sets up so well for his style of play – but this is the first time he has teed up there as a PGA Tour champion.
Starting the Mayakoba event as a Tour maiden meant Ancer was under extreme pressure to take advantage of the opportunity.
His gutsy victory in the WGC-St Jude Invitational in August, though, lifted a weight off of his shoulders.
Not only has Ancer won – he has done so against an elite field – and the Mayakoba will surely feel like a walk in the park in comparison.
The betting community has been supporting Ancer all week, meaning only 16/1 is left on tournament-eve, but he can be expected to be in the mix come Sunday.
Horschel Could Find Weekend Gallop Again
Billy Horschel was sensational over the weekend of the last Mayakoba tournament – he carded rounds of 65 and 64 to rocket up to fifth place – and the accurate Floridian has bolstered his mantelpiece with silverware since then.
Winning two prestigious titles – the WGC-Match Play and the BMW PGA Championship – has injected Horschel with great self-belief.
He defeated Scottie Scheffler in the final of the Match Play and upstaged the European Tour’s finest at Wentworth.
Horschel can be backed at 30/1 for the World Wide Technology Championship, which seems generous considering his form and confidence.
On his Mayakoba debut in 2011, Horschel finished 13th, despite missing six cuts in a row prior to the event and arriving ranked outside of the world’s top 1,000.
The El Camaleon layout has always suited him and the former FedEx Cup winner may provide the main challenge to Ancer.
*All odds correct at time of writing.