Golf’s spotlight swings to Los Cabos this week for the World Wide Technology Championship, and five Mexican golfers have earned places in the field. This PGA TOUR event – held at Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal at Diamante – is one of only two tour stops in Mexico each year (the other being the Mexico Open in Vidanta). While top-ranked international players like defending FedExCup champion Wyndham Clark headline the tournament, local attention is zeroed in on the Mexican contingent. They are a mix of emerging talent: Raúl Pereda, Emilio González, Alejandro Madariaga, Ómar Morales, and Emilio “Leo” Gil Leyva. Ranging in age from 21 to 29, these golfers represent a new generation of Mexican hopefuls eager to shine on home soil. “This type of tournament is very important for us,” said 22-year-old Ómar Morales of Puebla. “It’s always an honor to play against the best of the world and I need to take advantage of the opportunities I have right now”.
Mexican golfers WWT Championship lineup
Heading the local lineup is Raúl Pereda, a 29-year-old from Veracruz who is currently the only Mexican with full PGA TOUR status (he earned his tour card for 2024 late last year). Pereda brings the most big-league experience and is arguably the group’s mentor figure. Close behind is Emilio González, 28, a native of Guanajuato who recently secured his PGA TOUR card for 2026 by finishing in the top 20 of this year’s Korn Ferry Tour points list. González received a special sponsor exemption to play this week as recognition for being Mexico’s top professional golfer of the year. Both Pereda and González are hungry to impress a home crowd and perhaps even contend through the weekend – a tall order, but not impossible if they bring their A-game. They’ve been pegged as the most recognizable Mexican names in the field, thanks to their recent PGA milestones.
The other three representatives are newer faces on this stage. Alejandro Madariaga, 25, also hails from Puebla and clinched his spot by winning a high-stakes match play duel against a compatriot in a qualifier event. This will be Madariaga’s first PGA TOUR tournament, and he’s openly thrilled (and a bit nervous) about debuting at such a high level. Ómar Morales, at 22, is making his second appearance at the WWT Championship after debuting last year (he missed the cut in 2024). Despite his youth, Morales has quite a résumé: he’s played two Mexico Opens and even qualified for the U.S. Open in 2023 and 2024. He earned a sponsor’s invite for this WWT edition, likely due to his solid amateur and early pro showings. Rounding out the group is Emilio “Leo” Gil Leyva, a 21-year-old amateur from Sinaloa who is still in college at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Leyva punched his ticket by winning a 27-hole Mexican qualifying tournament on October 5th. He’s the only amateur in the field of 132 players, and will be teeing it up against seasoned pros – a baptism by fire that he views as an invaluable learning experience. “I’m not a professional yet, and starting out is one of the hardest things. In golf, you play well or you don’t earn money… once you’re on the PGA Tour it’s another thing, but at the beginning it’s quite difficult,” Leyva reflected ahead of his debut. For him, just making the cut would be a victory.
Chasing history and support
All five Mexicans in the WWT Championship 2025 know they carry more than their own ambitions – they’re playing for a bit of Mexican golf history. In the 22 PGA Tour events held in Mexico since 2007 (Mexico Open and WWT Championship), no Mexican player has ever won. The closest calls were by star Carlos Ortiz, who finished runner-up at this tournament in 2019 and 2021. This week, with home-course knowledge and crowd support on their side, the five underdogs hope to at least contend over four days. Realistically, just making a strong showing (like a top-20 finish or being in the mix on the weekend) would be a huge morale boost for Mexican golf. It could inspire the next generation and show sponsors that investing in local players pays off. As Alejandro Madariaga noted, exposure is crucial: “Having a tournament with this kind of media coverage is so important to get people to believe in us and support our project,” he said. Professional golf is an expensive career early on – one Mexican female pro recently estimated a season’s costs at up to 2.5 million pesos (≈$140,000 USD). Most young players rely on family and a patchwork of sponsors to fund travel, coaches, and equipment. In the case of these five, two explicitly shared that their parents are their main backers so far. They’ve received little to no financial support from government agencies, aside from competitive opportunities facilitated by the Mexican Golf Federation.
That’s why a strong performance this week could be life-changing. A few highlights on the broadcast, or a notable leaderboard presence, can attract new sponsorship deals or invites to other events. “The exposure is a very important point, because there are a lot of players coming up in Mexico and I think there are many sponsors, but we always need more,” Madariaga explained, emphasizing that playing well is the ultimate key to drawing support. His fellow players agree that results are the best marketing: “In this tournament, I try to share as much as I can with my followers and enjoy it. But, in the end, I think doing a good job on the course can bring the support we’re looking for,” Madariaga said, and amateur Leyva echoed that sentiment.
This WWT Championship presents a golden opportunity. The five Mexican golfers will have the home crowd behind them as they navigate El Cardonal’s desert fairways and ocean vistas. They’ll also feel the weight of expectation – however modest – from fans hoping to see a local name high on the leaderboard. “Being on the PGA Tour gives you a lot of exposure, especially being Mexican and playing this tournament. It helps a lot, but the truth is I don’t prepare for that; I come to play and I hope that comes by itself. You have to play well and things have to happen,” reinforced Emilio Leyva in the lead-up. As play begins, these underdogs know the odds. But golf can be unpredictable, and maybe, just maybe, one of these five can conjure some magic in Cabo. Even if the trophy remains elusive, their presence alone marks progress – five Mexican flags on a PGA Tour tee sheet, determined to make their country proud on home turf.
