PLAYA DEL CARMEN, México — Last year’s Mayakoba Golf Classic champion Brian Gay will be back and among a group of players who earned victories during the 2008 PGA TOUR season as the third edition of Mexico’s only PGA TOUR event returns February 25-March 1 at El Camaléon Golf Club at Mayakoba.

In 2008, Gay fired four rounds in the 60s for his first PGA TOUR victory.

Gay will attempt to become the first back-to-back champion in tournament history. And he will try to become the first TOUR player to win the same event for his first two victories since Boo Weekley won the Verizon Heritage, in both 2007 and 2008.

However, the Ft. Worth, Texas native, will face a hungry pack of five other winners from last year’s season.

Most notable of this group is Holmes–a two-time winner of the FBR Open and a member of the victorious 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup team. Holmes was a rookie in last year’s Ryder Cup competition and the Kentucky native had a winning record in front of his fellow natives. Holmes missed the cut in his 2007 appearance at the Mayakoba Golf Classic.

Speaking of the Ryder Cup, Corey Pavin, recently named captain for the 2010 U.S. team, will return to the Mayakoba Golf Classic. Last year, Pavin was in contention on the weekend and finished tied for 12th.