This week, the PGA TOUR is making the trip to Mexico for the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba. Though the likes of Collin Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler are in the field, all eyes will be on 25-year-old Viktor Hovland as he looks to pull off a three-peat at the tournament.
The young Norwegian star may be the first TOUR player to have a chance at a three-peat this season, but he won't be the only one.
Here's a list of five players - including Hovland - who'll have an opportunity for a three-peat this season:
Viktor Hovland - World Wide Technology Championship
Hovland wasted no time showing his skill at golf's highest level when he won the Puerto Rico Open in his rookie season, and since then, he's won two more TOUR titles - both at the same tournament.
Hovland first won the tournament when it was known as the Mayakoba Golf Classic back in 2020 with a third-round 63 and final-round 65. He finished one stroke better than Aaron Wise to capture the title.
Last season, in his return to Mexico, Hovland went even lower, shooting a third-round 62 en route to a 23-under 261 that had him four clear of runner-up Carlos Ortiz and five clear of Justin Thomas in third.
Sam Burns - Valspar Championship
The second player who'll have a go at a three-peat this season is Burns at the Valspar Championship in mid-March. Burns grabbed his first career TOUR win at the tournament back in 2021 and then successfully defended his title in 2022.
He won his first at the Florida tournament by three strokes over Keegan Bradley. While he shot all four rounds under par, his tournament was highlighted by an 8-under 63 in the second round, where he grabbed a share of the lead along with Bradley before edging him out during the final round.
Returning to the tournament last season, the 26-year-old defeated Davis Riley in a two-hole playoff to claim the tournament title for a second straight year. Burns entered the final round three strokes back of Riley, but a round of 69 on Sunday helped him find a spot in the playoff.
K.H. Lee - Byron Nelson
Two months after Burns will have a chance at a three-peat, Lee has his own at the Byron Nelson in Texas in mid-May.
Lee first won the Byron Nelson in 2021 by three strokes over Burns, coincidentally. The South Korean golfer posted back-to-back rounds of 65 to begin the tournament but still entered the final round one shot back of Burns. A final round 6-under 66 on Sunday was enough to earn Lee his first career TOUR win.
Lee then returned to the Byron Nelson in 2022, where he shot even lower than the first time. The now 31-year-old opened the tournament with an impressive 64 but entered the final round four shots back of the leader. He went on to shoot a 9-under 63 to catapult himself into the top spot on the leaderboard, winning by one stroke over Jordan Spieth. As a result, both of Lee's TOUR wins have come at the same tournament.
Rory McIlroy - Canadian Open
While McIlroy was unable to win the Canadian Open three times in as many years due to the back-to-back cancellations of the tournament as a result of the pandemic, he'll have a chance to defend his title for a second straight year and win the tournament three times in a row.
McIlroy first won Canada's lone TOUR tournament back in 2019 with a final-round 9-under 61 that earned him a whopping seven-stroke victory over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson at Hamilton Golf and Country Club.
When the tournament made its much-anticipated return in 2022, all eyes were on McIlroy to bring as much excitement as he did pre-pandemic. The 33-year-old delivered, this time shooting an 8-under 62 in the final round to edge out Tony Finau by two strokes.
The tournament is once again featured on the 2022-23 TOUR calendar - this time at Oakdale Golf and Country Club - where McIlroy will have his chance to win the tournament for a third straight time in mid-June.
Patrick Cantlay - BMW Championship
Arguably the most impressive title defense to set up a potential three-peat is Cantlay's back-to-back wins at the BMW Championship.
Cantlay first won the tournament - which features the top 70 players on the FedEx Cup standings - in 2021 in a six-hole playoff against Bryson DeChambeau.
Back to defend his title this past season, the 30-year-old was able to hold on to a one-stroke victory over Scott Stallings, becoming the first player in TOUR history to successfully defend one of the FedEx Cup Playoffs tournament titles.
The Californian will no doubt have his work cut out for him when he returns to the BMW Championship, as the tournament holds one of the strongest fields every season as the penultimate playoff event. He'll have his shot at the three-peat when the tournament heads to Olympia Fields, Illinois, in mid-August.
