Editor's note: Si Woo Kim, No. 11 in the rankings, withdrew from the World Wide Technology Championship on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Recess for the Class of 2025 is over.

After one last off week, only tournament action fills the calendar until the season concludes to determine who goes where next year. The first of the last three stops is the World Wide Technology Championship in Los Cabos, Mexico.

On the surface, it’s almost cruel that the field of 120 is treated to El Cardonal at Diamante this week. It’s the kind of backdrop where the majority of golfers who play it get away from work. However, for the intents and purposes of the majority of this field, it’s where the guys for whom golf is their chosen profession want to lock up more of it at the highest level of the sport.

A breakdown of the Tiger Woods design in its third spin as host, a smart game plan for a strong performance and more are detailed below.

It’s that time of year when readouts of heart-rate monitors could coexist beside the leaderboard that splashes onto the glowing rectangles broadcasting live action. Perhaps at no other time of the season are pulses early on Thursdays as compelling as they are among those chasing victory late on Sundays. So much hangs in the balance – not just with every stroke but also with every subsequent stroke – as all PGA TOUR members (and wannabe members) inch up on what will be their season aggregates.

While the talent taking the fewest strokes across 72 holes wins the race, he’s guaranteed to need fewer than his average at El Cardonal relative to other par 72s. Last year’s field checked up at 70.256, and that was more than a stroke higher than when it was the easiest par 72 among solo hosts throughout the extended 2022-23 season. However, it was due to a windy opening round when the field was over par. This week’s forecast will allow for scores to threaten the inaugural. Winds will be moderate at worst, nothing but sunshine is expected and daytime temperatures will climb easily into the 80s throughout.

The absence of wind means that the course’s primary defense will stand down. That’s not uncommon for most layouts positioned on a coastline – as El Cardonal is on the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula – but the greens average over 8,000 square feet. While wind forever is a day-to-day X factor, the early read is that the paspalum putting surfaces will run a full 11 feet as measured by the Stimpmeter. That’s TOUR average, so with undulations stepping forward as the biggest challenge on the greens, precision on approach is at a premium.

Oh, there’s no rough on the course, either, but the wise game plan will be to find targets optimal for second shots. Prioritizing placement over distance on the 7,452-yard track is advised. While only a fool would compare El Cardonal to Augusta National Golf Club visually, the same strategy plays way up at the Masters, so it should be no surprise that Woods is responsible for what he’s asking his peers to do. After all, he’s fared rather well at that major.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

PGATOUR.com’s Rob Bolton previews and recaps every tournament. Refer to the timing of his contributions below. He’s also active as @RobBoltonGolf on X where you can connect with him.

• MONDAY: Power Rankings
• TUESDAY*: Expert Picks; Sleepers; Top 100 Watch
• SUNDAY: Golfbet recap; Qualifiers

*Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks, which publishes on Tuesday.