News and notes from the MGC in the Riviera Maya: June 2007.

One on one with "The Shark"

Q: As the course designer of El Camaleón, a PGA TOUR professional and a businessman, how would you rate the inaugural Mayakoba Golf Classic?

Greg Norman: I think it was a tremendous success, thanks mainly to the dedication and leadership of OHL. Mayakoba is one of the finest luxury resorts in the world and, due to OHL's vision, we are able to turn it into a first-class sporting venue for one week of the year. Everything on the property received rave reviews-especially from the players and the PGA TOUR-and the credit for that goes to OHL and Mayakoba. We're fortunate to partner with them on such an historic venture as Mexico's first-ever TOUR event. Everyone involved is looking forward to doing it again in 2008-and making it even more perfect.

Q: Were you surprised that the winning score was 14-under-par?

Greg Norman: With conditions as tough as they were, I was impressed by how players managed to score. When the wind picks up like it did, El Camaleón is challenging - even for the world's best. (Course Superintendent) Erin Stevens and his staff did a great job in preparing the course for competition and that's what we had, a great competition that gave players a challenge but enough scoring opportunities to keep it exciting for the fans.

Q: What do you make of Fred Funk as the inaugural champion of the MGC?

Greg Norman: Fred really deserved the win after showing so much resilience in battling back pains over the weekend. Many of the other players on the leaderboard are having great years, like Boo Weekley, Jose Coceres, Mark Wilson, so that says a lot about what Fred accomplished. He is a great champion and will be a wonderful ambassador for the tournament as it continues to grow.

(Editor's note: Funk became just the second player in history to win on the PGA TOUR after winning an event on the Champions Tour. Craig Stadler was the first.)

Q: What impact is the MGC making on the growth of golf in México?

Greg Norman: One of the great effects of the event was the number of high school and college students who turned out to volunteer. They were exposed to the game of golf - many for the first time - and we look forward to having them back. Clearly, the charitable contributions of the tournament help a lot of people who are doing good work for the community. And the participation of several Mexican golfers show the youth that they can have success in this sport. The ability to bring golf at its highest level to Mexico puts the sport at the front of people's minds and at the top of the news - which will only draw more interest and encourage more to participate.

All photos and information courtesy of www.mayakobagolfclassic.com

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