Power Rankings: Who’s Ready to Succeed at the Global Tech Championship?

The PGA Tour Q-School has been underway since mid-September.

The final five sites of the first stage will run this week from Florida to California.. It’s for hopefuls chasing a lifelong dream or a return to the big leagues, but you can’t tell current PGA Tour members that their final stops of the 2026 season won’t play out the same way. Of course, entry into each FedExCup Fall event is guaranteed for many, regardless of the previous tournament’s result – unlike Q-School – but the goal is the same – a 2027 PGA Tour card.

The difference is that Q-Schoolers have something to gain, while a large percentage of players engaged in the Global Tech Championship have something to lose. And with only three tournaments remaining before the FedExCup standings determine their fate, it could feel like a sprint to the finish line.

El Cardonal in Diamante is hosting 120 players in Los Cabos, Mexico this week, and it will be a sprint within a sprint. What this means, course layout and more details can be found below the rankings of who should challenge for the fourth championship title. Tiger wood design.

Full preparation for World Wide Technology attendees could be summed up as: “Uh, good luck, boys. Go get ’em!” This is because the only real challenge will be keeping up with their peers.

In its first and third years as host, El Cardonal at Diamante ranked as the easiest of all par 72s that do not co-host a tournament. And without a windy first round in 2024, this edition would have had a chance of making a clean slate since the first. Last year the field averaged 68,900. It’s all about hitting greens and making putts.

Among the 49 courses contributing to the 2025 calendar, El Cardonal at Diamante recorded the highest frequencies of fairways hit (12.41 out of 14) and greens in regulation (14.67 out of 18) per round. These are averages.

The entire property is covered in paspalum, there is no rough and the greens averaging 8,000 square feet do not exceed 11 feet when measured by the Stimpmeter. This is due to its exposed location on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. If the wind is blowing, the ball should only tip and not roll (on its own). But when there’s no wind to take a break, PGA Tour records are in danger.

Whether the 2026 edition of the tournament will follow the emerging historical trend will depend on the timing of Thursday and Friday’s moderate breezes. It’s enough of a threat to take a closer look, but a far cry from what was experienced at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship two weeks ago. And then once the cut falls after the conclusion of the second round, the survivors will leave for the races on the weekend in the middle of the zephyrs. This bodes well for a come-from-behind winner on Sunday. Otherwise, the sun will make headlines when it comes to the elements. Daytime temperatures will reach the 80s throughout the day.

Rob Bolton of PGATour.com presents and recaps each tournament. See the schedule of his contributions below. He is also active as @RobBoltonGolf on X where you can connect with him.

MONDAY: Power Rankings
TUESDAY: Expert choice; Sleepers*; Top 100 watches
SUNDAY: Points and payments; Qualifications

*Register now for content found exclusively in “The Early Card” newsletter, arriving in your inbox every Tuesday.