As the oldest PGA Tour event played outside of the U.S. and Canada, the World Wide Technology Championship symbolizes the global growth of the game.
The WWTC, set for November 7-10, will be played for a second consecutive year at El Cardonal at Diamante, a Tiger Woods design in Cabo San Lucas on the tip of the Baja California peninsula.
Since the inaugural WWTC in 2007, golf has exploded in Latin America. The PGA Tour has added a second event in Mexico: the Mexico Open at Vidanta, formerly part of the developmental Latinoamérica Tour, now known as PGA Tour Americas, and with a history dating to 1944. The Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas hold tournaments in the region. Millions of dollars have been raised for local causes. But none of this would have been possible without the WWTC.
“All of that growth has been a result of a lot of effort to continue to grow the game,” said Joe Mazzeo, the WWTC’s tournament director. “But somebody had to be first, and this golf tournament was first in planting a flag in the region.”
However, the tournament briefly was left without a home after 2022 when LIV Golf announced a deal to play at Mayakoba Resort’s El Camaleón course, which was designed by LIV CEO Greg Norman. So, the WWTC moved from the Yucatán Peninsula to Diamante Cabo San Lucas in 2023. For this, Mazzeo largely credits World Wide Technology, the title sponsor since 2021.
“Having World Wide Technology’s support through that transition and then staying committed to the PGA Tour and their event just speaks volumes,” Mazzeo said.
WWT, based in St. Louis, Missouri, is a global technology-solution provider for companies such as Nvidia and Cisco. The company places a large emphasis on artificial intelligence and advancing technology.
Matt Horner, executive vice president of global enterprise at WWT, says the company became interested in a PGA Tour title sponsorship because of the combination of business and charity. Though WWT continues to be involved in other PGA events, a title sponsorship gives the company greater brand recognition and connections with members of the C-suite.
Horner says the charitable aspect of the PGA Tour is also attractive. Since its inception, the WWT Championship has raised more than $3 million for charities.
“When you look at the philanthropic part of the PGA Tour, and that being in our DNA since our inception in 1990, it was a good match,” Horner said.
Horner said WWT had options to title-sponsor tournaments in the United States, but the company ultimately chose Mexico.
“We really felt that having the international location was fitting, considering our namesake is World Wide Technology,” Horner said.
Horner and Mazzeo agree the WWT Championship is special because of the focus on Mexico.
The primary beneficiary of the tournament is the local First Tee chapter of Diamante, to which WWT donates $25,000 each year. First Tee aims to teach students life through golf.
“A lot of the kids come from backgrounds where, socioeconomically, they’re maybe not as fortunate as others,” said Mazzeo, who also has two children participating in the First Tee program.
“We’ve always invited a number of Mexican players to represent their country in this tournament. We’re proud that there are more Mexicans [28] who have played in this golf tournament than any other on the PGA Tour.” – Joe Mazzeo
First Tee provides golf instruction, clothes, meals and more to those who need it. First Tee students will also have opportunities during the tournament, such as behind-the-scenes tours or participation in Tuesday’s Short Am, which will raise more money for the program.
In addition to First Tee, WWT and the PGA Tour are committed to giving native Mexican golfers chances to play in the tournament. Five are entered in this week’s field, which can be viewed here.
“We’ve always invited a number of Mexican players to represent their country in this tournament,” Mazzeo said. “We’re proud that there are more Mexicans [28] who have played in this golf tournament than any other on the PGA Tour.”
For 10 years, the WWT Championship has hosted two qualifiers, one match play and one stroke play, for two golfers to earn a spot in the field. These qualifiers consist of entirely Mexican players. Teeing it up at this year’s championship will be Santiago de la Fuente, the 2024 Latin America Amateur champion who won the WWTC’s stroke-play qualifier, and Isidro Benitez, a former winner on PGA Tour Latinoamérica who won the match play.
Horner says it’s important to create a strong foundation in Mexico to drive interest in the game. With about 200 participants in the two qualifiers, Horner thinks they’ve created that foundation. It could be time to grow.
“We’ve thought about next year having qualifiers for our qualifiers because we have enough volume now where that would make sense,” Horner said.
WWT also has a strong connection with the Advocates Professional Golf Association. The APGA is a nonprofit organization that aims to increase diversity in golf by providing equipment, instruction and expertise to Black and other minority golfers. WWT donates $20,000 that is split among five of the top APGA players. These five also have a chance to qualify for the WWT Championship during Monday qualifiers.
In addition, WWT awards the winner of the APGA Tour’s Ascension Classic an exemption into the WWT Championship. Andrew Walker won the event this year. Last year’s Ascension winner, Chase Johnson, made the cut at the WWT Championship, tying for 69th, and shared a special moment with Horner.
“After his round, he came up and gave me a big hug,” Horner said.
Horner says it’s difficult to overstate the financial impact that qualifying for a PGA Tour event can have on players.
“If you think about pathways to prosperity in golf,” Horner said, “it’s life-changing in terms of them being able to play in a PGA tournament.”
WWT and the PGA Tour are committed to expanding golf in Mexico and around the world. Horner and Mazzeo believe the history and continued growth of the WWT Championship show that they are succeeding.
“We couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this great game that spans the globe,” Horner said. “We see a lot of opportunity for the game and its impact on our communities for decades to come.”