The Hero World Challenge starts this week at Albany in the Bahamas, with a 20-man field playing for a $5 million purse and Official World Golf Ranking points despite its exhibition status.
Two players of Indian origin will compete at Albany from December 4–7 in the event hosted by 15-time major winner Tiger Woods. The spotlight will be on South Carolina’s Akshay Bhatia, a Hero Motocorp brand ambassador and England’s Aaron Rai, who recently married Indian pro golfer Gaurika Bishnoi. . Last year’s edition featured three Indian-origin PGA Tour winners—Bhatia, Sahith Theegala and Rai—but Theegala missed out this year after an injury-prone season which saw him fall to 107th on the World Rankings.
Woods will not tee it up again, but his hosting duties continue as he recovers from lumbar disc replacement surgery in October and an Achilles repair earlier this year. Woods has said his rehabilitation is progressing slower than he hoped.
Woods, who has been Hero MotoCorp’s Global Partner for a decade, also reaffirmed his commitment to the partnership, which has been extended until 2030.
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler, who is chasing a three-peat, won’t be the only player in the field with a Hero Challenge trophy. Hideki Matsuyama (2016) and Jordan Spieth (2014) are the other past champions teeing it up this week, while the event’s most decorated player remains Woods, a five-time winner.
Hero World Challenge Field with their world rankings –
Scottie Scheffler (1), J.J. Spaun (4), Robert MacIntyre (7), Justin Rose (10), Harris English (11), Keegan Bradley (14), Sepp Straka (15), Alex Noren (17), Cameron Young (18), Hideki Matsuyama (20), Aaron Rai (23), Sam Burns (25), Chris Gotterup (28), Corey Conners (30), Andrew Novak (31), Brian Harman (33), Wyndham Clark (38), Akshay Bhatia (43), Billy Horschel (45), Jordan Spieth (70)
