OHL Classic preview, picks and analysis

Post by Sports Writer, Derek Clements 

THE PGA Tour continues its early-season travels, stopping off in Mexico for the OHL CLassic at Mayakoba - this was where, in 2007, the tour staged its first ever tournament outside the United States.

It was won 12 months ago by Charley Hoffman, who will be back to defend his title after the best season of his career. Coincidentally, Hoffman finally decided to rid himself of his long locks and shed some weight last year. Jason Dufner will be hoping that doing the same thing will finally start to pay off for him in the months that lie ahead - the former US PGA champion is enduring an alarming fall down the world rankings which he will want to arrest as soon as possible.

The course at El Camaleon is relatively short, measuring just 6,987 yards, and one of the things that almost every winner has shared in common is a lack of length from the tee. In other words, it is not a bomber's course. Past winners include Mark Wilson and Cameron Beckman, two of the shortest hitters on tour, but also two of the most accurate. Throw into the mix the fact that the opening three events have all been won by first-time champions (Emilio Grillo, Justin Thomas and the delightfully-named Smiley Kaufman) and you will understand that this tournament is wide open.

Russel Knox will be hoping to go 'back-to-back' following his breakthrough WGC win

I originally wrote this preview before the WGC HSBC Champions event and you may find it instructive to read my thoughts before a ball had been hit in China...

"You may or may not be surprised to learn that I reckon we will be seeing yet another first-time winner in Mexico. But the big question is: who?

"For me, two men fit the bill - Russell Knox and the quirky Will Wlcox.

"Knox is as fine a golfer as Scotland has produced in recent years. He has recorded a plethora of top-10 finishes since joining the PGA Tour and has had several chances to win and finally crossed the finishing line at the WGC HSBC Champions event in Shanghai. It is a victory that is sure to have done wonders for his confidence and could open the floodgates for him. He is 30 years old, married and totally settled into life in the United States and, as a Scot, has the game to cope with every possible condition that might come his way.

"Of course, the longer he goes without that maiden victory, the harder it becomes to achieve - and the more questions he will start to ask of himself. However, the important thing is that he has not thrown away a winning position in his quest for victory. He has simply failed to find a sufficiently low score on the final day to get the job done. He has no weaknesses. Some way argue that his mindset is not as strong as it might be, but that is nonsense as he has proved that he can put a disappointing week behind him and bounce straight back. The  El Camaleon course will suit his game, he is ready to make the breakthrough, and I believe this may be the week it happens for him."

Knox has, of course, now got the monkey off his back and there is no reason why he can't record back-to back wins. While he is orthodox in everything he does on the course, the opposite can be said about Wilcox. He addresses the ball with his feet aiming miles to the left of the target, while everything else points to the right. His swing is as unconventional as it gets in this game, and he puts a ferocious amount of pressure on his back, but he is an impressive performer, consistently finding fairways and greens in regulations. His putting stroke is a mini version of his full swing, but Wilcox finds a way to get the ball in the hole. He is big hitter, but he is also accurate, and he love the venue.

Wilcox had a terrific 2014-15 season and is keen to prove it was no flash in the pan. He has contended several times without being able to finish off the job. He will be looking to put that right in Mexico.

Graeme McDowell's slide down the rankings has been alarming. The former US Open champion has seldom looked as if he is enjoying his golf recently but he knows that he must reverse the slump quickly if he is to continue playing in WGC events. This a golf course that may just suit his game and he could surprise a few people with a big week. It also a course on which Harris English has won before and, unlike McDowell, he has been showing encouraging signs of form of late.

OHL Classic Betting PIcks

To win - Rusell Knox Why not back-to-back wins?

Each way- Will Wilcox. Looking for a big week

Each way - Spencer Levin. Showing good form

OHL Classic Fantasy Picks

Russell Knox. Confidence at an all-time high

Will Wilcox. Watch that back

Spencer Levin. Capable of scoring lots of birdies

Jason Dufner. Finding his feet again

Harris English. Previous winner here, with good memories

Camilo Villegas. Crowd favourite

Ben Martin. Beautiful swinger of the club

Graeme McDowell. Desperate for a good week

Matt Kuchar. Should suit him down to the ground

Jhonattan Vegas. Getting back to his best