Former Wisconsin quarterback announces transfer portal destination
Former Wisconsin quarterback Myles Burkett announced his transfer commitment to Eastern Kentucky on Sunday.
Burkett entered the portal earlier this month after one year at Albany. He commits to Eastern Kentucky, which made the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs this season, with two years of eligibility remaining.
Burkett joined the Badgers as a three-star recruit and the No. 8 player from the state of Wisconsin in the class of 2022. He appeared in just two games during his time with the program, both as a true freshman.
The Franklin, Wisconsin, native elected to remain with the program entering 2023 after the firing of Paul Chryst and the subsequent hire of Luke Fickell. He entered the season far down the quarterback depth chart, however, after offseason additions of Tanner Mordecai, Nick Evers and Braedyn Locke.
Burkett transferred to Albany after the 2023 campaign. He started nine games for the Great Danes in 2024, completing 54.7% of his passes for 1,840 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
He has found a destination for his remaining years of eligibility.
Wisconsin’s quarterback room remains in question after the hire of new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes and the departures of Tyler Van Dyke and Braedyn Locke. The Badgers have only redshirt freshman Mabrey Mettauer, true freshman Landyn Locke (three-star) and true freshman Carter Smith (four-star) in the room. That reality is sure to change as this transfer cycle continues.
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NASSAU, Bahamas – Justin Thomas has one last chance to win a tournament in 2024 and he’ll head into the final round with a one-stroke lead over world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler at the Hero World Challenge.
Thomas carded a bogey-free 6-under 66 at Albany Club on a warm and wind-swept Saturday to improve to 17-under 199.
“I didn’t think I played nearly as well as he had the first two days but it was tough out there and I made a few more putts,” he said.
His play has been none too shabby: he’s bogey-free for his last 51 holes, his lone bogey came at the par-5 third hole in the opening round. Thomas struggled mightily with the putter the first two days, ranking last in Strokes Gained: Putting, and joked, “there was only one way to go.”
Competing for the first time since welcoming the birth of his first child, daughter Molly, he reeled off birdies at Nos. 4 and 6 from inside 10 feet and then let his driver do some damage. Using a 46-inch driver this week, he drove the green at the 359-yard seventh to inside 10 feet and two-putted for birdie.
“That was nice,” he said. “I didn’t have to go full go. It was an advantage for me. I felt like I could be in control… Because how the green sits, you can’t see the ball until you get up there so it was nice to see it up there.”
He tacked on a birdie at nine to go out in 32, then started finding his touch from long range with his putter. First, he made an 18-foot par putt on the par-3 12th hole. His next birdie, at No. 14, was an unlikely one. After being out of position off the tee, his pitch ran 47 feet past the hole, but he buried it after recalling something his caddie had said the other day.
“I had a similar thing on Thursday where I hit a bad chip and Rev was, you can still make the putt, you’re fine, that kind of thing. I kind of reminded myself that,” he said.
Justin Thomas from 47 FEET OUT to grab a share of the lead! 📈
Thomas has had a lot of success at the Hero over the years, owning top-five finishes in his four most recent appearances (third/2023, fifth/2022, T-5/2021, T-5/2019). But victory has eluded the 15-time Tour winner since the 2022 PGA Championship.
“I’ve been progressing nicely, been working on all the right things. Feel like I’ve been seeing signs of improvement, which is what you want and that’s all I can do. I can’t control everybody else or what’s going on, I’ve just got to keep playing as good as I possibly can and hope that it’s enough come Sunday,” he said.
If so, that trophy would come from none other than Tiger Woods.
“That would be great. I’ve had a couple opportunities in the past, but it’s definitely something I’d love to check off my box in my career at some point,” he said.
Scottie Scheffler of the United States walks off the seventh tee during the third round of the Hero World Challenge 2024 at Albany Golf Course on December 07, 2024 in Nassau, Bahamas. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler shot 69 on Saturday and played his way into the final group alongside Thomas. But is he pleased with his play so far, which included an 8-under 64 on Friday? Not so much.
“Pleased I think would be a stretch, but overall my game’s in a good spot,” said Scheffler, who has never shot an over score in 15 rounds at Albany. “I’ve liked what I’ve seen the last few days out there on the course and hoping to finish off with a real solid round tomorrow.”
If pleased wasn’t the right description, Scheffler was asked what word he’d use instead. “That’s too difficult a question. My vocabulary is not that vast,” he said with a smile and a chuckle.
Earlier in his comments summing up the round, he chose the word “decent.”
“I had a stretch at 13, 14, 15 where I felt like I lost a shot or two there, but outside of that I did a lot of really good things today,” he said.
Scheffler complained of a few too many lip-outs spoiling what could’ve been another mid-60s round for him.
“I felt I had some good putts that should have gone in. I had a putt on 1 that looked really good, I had a putt on 10, putt there on 18 that I hit a really good putt just around the cup,” he said. “Overall I feel like it’s coming off my blade really nice. Yeah, so every time it looks like it’s going towards the hole, I feel like it should be going in and that’s a good feeling.”
Still, he’s poised to join Tiger Woods (2006, ’07) and Viktor Hovland (2021, ’22) as the only back-to-back winners of the Hero World Challenge.
Tom Kim of South Korea and caddie, Paul Tesori, look on from the third tee during the third round of the Hero World Challenge 2024 at Albany Golf Course on December 07, 2024 in Nassau, Bahamas. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Tom Kim had a good feeling.
Coming off the lone hiccup of his day at 17, where he needed two shots to extricate himself from the sand, Kim caught the left bunker at 18 and got his revenge. He holed the bunker shot for birdie, his 12th of the day, and posted 10-under 62. Then he told caddie Paul Tesori he knew he was going to make it.
“He actually called BS on it,” Kim said. “He said, ‘No, you didn’t,’ and I tell him like I really did. I saw a good spot, it was a really good spot to miss at. We talked over the shot and kind of let it go. As soon as it landed, I was like, man, this is a really good shot.”
TOM KIM, ARE YOU SERIOUS?! 🤯🔥
Bunker hole-out on 18 for an incredible round of 62!
Man, was it a really good day. Kim’s 12 birdies were the most he’s ever made on the Tour.
“I had a few long putts where you’re not really expecting to make and those go in. I did a lot of good things just to keep my momentum going,” he said, noting a clutch par save at No. 8 and a 20-footer on No. 9. “Made a bomb on 10. Had a really easy — I hit a good drive on 11 so it was kind of like an easy birdie, but didn’t hit it on the green and chipped it really good.”
Given that the wind picked up and scoring tended to be higher on Saturday, Scheffler was impressed with Kim’s ability to go low.
“That’s pretty serious golf out there,” he said. “I feel like I played pretty solid yesterday with no wind and shot 8, so 10 in the wind is a pretty special round.”
Kim vaulted to 15 under overall, good for solo third and two back of the lead, which is all the more impressive given that he was 3 over after six holes and opened in 2-over 74. Kim said he made a small adjustment that has paid quick dividends.
“My spin numbers were coming out a little different than usual. So paid a lot of attention after the round and just put that in play yesterday and automatically I saw some results and I just kind of did the same thing and just seems to be paying off a little bit,” he said.
It had been 102 days between shots in competitive rounds for Young.
NASSAU, Bahamas — The calendar may not flip for a few more weeks but Cameron Young already is treating the Hero World Challenge as if it is 2025.
“To me, this kind of feels like the start of a new season in a way,” he said. “I’m playing this week, next week, have a couple of weeks off and then we start (in Maui).”
It had been 102 days between shots in competitive rounds for Cameron Young, who last played in the BMW Championship in August and then flew to Mexico in November for the World Wide Technology Championship in Los Cabos, Mexico, but withdrew before the tournament began. Was he surprised with how sharp his game was after the long layoff?
“I didn’t play great yesterday,” he said. “But you always feel like you can shoot a number like that. I really felt very well in control, which isn’t necessarily surprising but it’s a nice thing to come out and just feel like yourself.”
Especially with the driver. Young used the big stick as a weapon to set up a bogey-free eight-under 64 at Albany Club on Thursday and open up a two-stroke lead over Justin Thomas after the first round of the 20-man unofficial event hosted by Tiger Woods.
“[The drive on] No. 18 was really nice, especially after waiting a little bit just to kind of get that one down there in place is good. Hit a really good one off 11, I was really proud of that one today,” he said. “I’m sure I missed a fairway or two, but for the most part I was really well in position. Then I made a couple putts early, which was nice. Just kind of got off to a nice start with the putter. There’s a bunch of par 5s and a couple drivable holes, so I feel that if you’re on top of it, especially off the tee, you can make a bunch of birdies.”
And that’s exactly what he did, reeling off birdies on three of the first four holes and five of the first eight. It was a relatively stress-free day for the 27-yer-old native of Scarborough, New York.
“The one on 12 is really as close as I came to having (a bogey) – 12 and then 13, so those two holes in a row,” said Young, who is still seeking his first Tour title. “No. 13 I had a really tricky chip, kind of had to play it over the sprinkler heads from right of the green. Yeah, a three-footer. I pitched it close on the next hole. It wasn’t where I would have put it with my second shot, but happy to get it up and down and kind of make the rest of my round easy.”
Cameron Young plays a shot on the 18th hole during the first round of the Hero World Challenge 2024 at Albany Golf Course in Nassau, Bahamas. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Thomas, playing for the first time since the birth of his first child, overcame a sluggish start to shoot 6-under 66. He was 1-over through five holes and near the bottom of the leaderboard when he made the turn. But he got a pep talk from his caddie Matt Minister on the walk from the 10th tee that kicked him into gear.
“He said, ‘You look like you’re trying so hard on your putter trying to just make putts, almost like play putting stroke as opposed to just putting,’ ” Thomas recounted. “When I get off, that’s a tendency that I have and I feel like I just tried to trust my instincts and just go and react. I did that the last nine holes and I putted really, really nicely.”
He poured in six birdies and shot 30 coming home.
Another player who was happy with his putting was world No. 1 and defending Hero champion Scottie Scheffler, who experimented with a claw grip on Thursday.
“I’m always looking for ways to improve and I felt like this was something that we had looked at last year when (putting coach) Phil (Kenyon) and I first started working together, but it was really our first time working together and it’s something that’s different than what I’ve done in the past,” Scheffler explained. “This year I had thought about it from time to time and it was something that we had just said let’s table that for the end of the season, take a look at it.”
It appears to be a work in progress as Scheffler did manage to make six birdies, including four of the last five, and shoot 67, but he also lost 1.156 strokes to the field and ranked 18th out of 20 players in Strokes Gained: putting.
“I felt like I rolled it really nice,” Scheffler said. “I felt like I hit a lot of edges out there, ball was kind of dancing around the cup.”
Scottie Scheffler dominates every statistical category on the PGA Tour, expect on the greens. In an effort to improve his Strokes Gained: Putting number, Scheffler debuted a new putting grip on Thursday during the first round of the 2024 Hero World Challenge.
“Took a look at it this offseason and figured this is a good week to try stuff just because you can practice and practice and do all the stuff at home, but there’s just something different about being in competition. I really enjoyed the way it felt, I felt like I’m seeing some improvements in my stroke,” he said after his 5-under 67.
He used the new grip on shorter putts, but reverted back to a conventional right-hand low grip on longer efforts.
“I feel like my speed has always been extremely good, especially from long range. I think I’ve always been a really, really good lag putter. That’s an area where I don’t think I would see much improvement with the grip,” he said. “The closer I get to the hole, kind of that inside 15-foot range, I think that’s where I’m seeing a lot of the benefits of it.”
The World No. 1, who won in Albany last season, ranked 77th in SG: Putting in 2024, an improvement from 162nd in 2023.
Another significant jump in that number in 2025 would be a nightmare for the rest of the Tour.
Scottie Scheffler of the United States putts on the second green during the first round of the Hero World Challenge 2024 at Albany Golf Course on December 05, 2024 in Nassau, Bahamas. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
This week, golf’s silly season kicks off with the 2024 Hero World Challenge at Albany in the Bahamas. Tiger Woods once again plays host, but this time around he’s not in the field. He did, however, cover an array of subjects during his pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday, including an update on the PGA Tour-PIF deal.
As for the players teeing it up on Thursday, Scottie Scheffler looks to defend his title and will be joined by Justin Thomas, Sahith Theegala, Patrick Cantlay, Tom Kim and Jason Day, among others.
This week’s winner won’t earn FedEx Cup points, but he will get Official World Golf Ranking points as well as $1 million of the $5 million purse.
Here are some of the best photos from the Bahamas.
Golf’s silly season is here, and the first tournament up to bat is Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge in Albany. Although the 15-time major champion isn’t in the field, we’ll still be treated with some of the best players in the world including Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark and Patrick Cantlay, among others.
Because this isn’t an official PGA Tour event, the winner will not earn any FedEx Cup points. One thing is official, however — the money. Sunday’s champion will go home with $1 million of the $5 million purse.
Without further ado, let’s jump into our betting preview and see who we’ll be targeting in The Bahamas.
Scottie Scheffler plays his shot from the 18th tee during the final round of the Hero World Challenge at Albany Golf Course on December 03, 2023 in Nassau, Bahamas. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Hero World Challenge betting odds
Player
Odds
Player
Odds
Scottie Scheffler
(+220)
Sahith Theegala
(+2200)
Ludvig Aberg
(+850)
Jason Day
(+2200)
Justin Thomas
(+1000)
Robert MacIntyre
(+2500)
Sungjae Im
(+1400)
Akshay Bhatia
(+2500)
Sam Burns
(+1400)
Aaron Rai
(+2500)
Russell Henley
(+1400)
Keegan Bradley
(+2500)
Patrick Cantlay
(+1600)
Cameron Young
(+2800)
Wyndham Clark
(+1800)
Sepp Straka
(+3000)
Brian Harman
(+2000)
Nick Dunlap
(+3500)
Tom Kim
(+2000)
Matthieu Pavon
(+8000)
[gambcom-standard rankid=”3413″ ]
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Picks to win the Hero World Challenge
Justin Thomas
Justin Thomas of the US tees off at the 10th hole during the round 1 of Zozo Championships PGA golf tournament at the Narashino Country Club in Inzai, Chiba prefecture on October 24, 2024 (Photo by TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP via Getty Images)
Odds: 10/1
Analysis: Woods’ best buddy has finished T-5 or better in four straight appearances at the Hero, including a third-place finish last December. In his last Tour start, the Louisville product tied for second at the Zozo Championship in Japan.
Tom Kim
Tom Kim walks on the first green during the third round of the 2024 FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
Odds: 20/1
Analysis: In a 20-man field, getting +2000 odds for Tom Kim is too good to pass up. Despite missing the cut in his latest Tour start — Shriners Children’s Open — Kim finished second a week later at the DP World Tour’s Genesis Championship. He’s played in the Hero once, finishing T-10 in 2022.
Robert MacIntyre
Robert MacIntyre of Scotland plays his second shot on the 15th hole during day four of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2024 at the Old Course at St Andrews on October 06, 2024 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Odds: 25/1
Analysis: Unlike many of the players in this field, MacIntyre has been playing golf this fall. In his last two DP World Tour starts, the Scot finished T-19 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and T-7 at the DP World Tour Championship. This will be MacIntyre’s first appearance at the Hero.
“I am disappointed that I will not be able to compete this year at the Hero World Challenge, but always look forward to being tournament host,” he wrote on social media.
Woods also noted that he added three players to the field: Justin Thomas, Jason Day and Nick Dunlap.
That got the tee sheet to 20 names. But then there were a few other changes, as two new names are in and two are out.
Hideki Matsuyama and Billy Horschel, on the original field list that was announced about a month ago, are now out.
Replacing them will be Akshay Bhatia and Cameron Young.
Three days befor the tournament was to start, Tony Finau withdrew and was replaced by Sepp Straka.
The 2024 Hero returns to Albany for the ninth year, from Dec. 5-8.
It’s not the news most golf fans wanted but it’s probably not surprising.
It’s not the news most golf fans wanted but it’s probably not surprising.
On Monday afternoon, Tiger Woods announced on social media that he will not compete in the upcoming Hero World Challenge, his annual bash in the Bahamas.
“I am disappointed that I will not be able to compete this year at the Hero World Challenge, but always look forward to being tournament host,” he wrote.
He also broke some other news. It was about a month ago that the initial field list was released with 17 names. Tiger’s update on Monday added that the last three spots will go to new dad Justin Thomas, Jason Day and Nick Dunlap.
I am disappointed that I will not be able to compete this year at the Hero World Challenge, but always look forward to being tournament host and spending the week with @HeroMotoCorp. Excited to welcome our exemptions @JustinThomas34, @JDayGolf and @NickDunlap62 into the field.
He hasn’t announced when he plans to try to play again. He often has used the Hero World Challenge as a barometer of how his body is feeling in a 72-hole, no-cut event and work off some rust after a layoff. Woods last played at the British Open in July.
The 2024 Hero returns to Albany for the ninth year, from Dec. 5-8.
Golfweek’s Adam Scupak contributed to this article.
No word on whether tournament host Tiger Woods will compete.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is set to defend his title at the Hero World Challenge in December as the tournament announced 17 competitors in the 20-man field. No word on whether tournament host Tiger Woods will compete and start his latest comeback from his latest surgery.
This year’s field features five of the top 10 players in the world. In addition to Scheffler, who also won the Masters in April, Olympic Gold in Paris in July and the FedEx Cup in August, No. 7 Hideki Matsuyama, the 2016 tournament champion, returns after an absence, as does No. 9 Patrick Cantlay, who starred at the Presidents Cup last month. Nine members of the United States’ victorious 2024 Presidents Cup team and three members of the International team (Matsuyama, Sungjae Im and Tom Kim) will compete at Albany.
Six players will make their Hero World Challenge debuts this December – Ludvig Aberg, Sahith Theegala, Russell Henley, Robert MacIntyre, Aaron Rai and Matthieu Pavon. The 2024 field represents golfers from seven different countries (U.S., Republic of Korea, Japan, England, Scotland, France and Sweden).
Woods, a five-time past champion of the event, had microdecompression surgery on his lower back Sept. 13 to relieve nerve impingement and back pain. He hasn’t announced when he plans to try to play again. He often has used the Hero World Challenge as a barometer of how his body is feeling in a 72-hole, no-cut event and work off some rust after a layoff. Woods last played at the British Open in July. The 2024 edition of the tournament returns to Albany for the ninth year, from Dec. 5-8.
The remaining three sponsor invites into the field will be announced at a later date. It’s not unusual for Woods to wait to announce his participation in the event. He typically also plays in the PNC Championship with son Charlie, which will be played the weekend before Christmas this year.
After second place finishes at Albany in 2021 and 2022, Scheffler capped off his second straight year as PGA Tour Player of the Year with a victory in the 2023 Hero World Challenge. Following an opening-round 69, Scheffler took control of the tournament with rounds of 66 and 65 on Friday and Saturday – both the low rounds of the days. A final-round 68 Sunday sealed the victory.
Live television coverage of the Hero World Challenge will be provided by Golf Channel during all four rounds and by NBC Sports during the third and final rounds.
The Vols defeated Albany, 12-0, in seven innings. Tennessee won game No. 1 on Friday, 8-5, while defeating the Great Danes, 21-6, in game No. 2 on Saturday.
5,091 were in attendance at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Sunday. 22 players appeared in the game for the Vols.
Nate Snead (2-0) earned his second win of the season. He pitched 2.2 innings in relief, recording three strikeouts, and totaled 23 pitches (17 strikes).
Tennessee’s offense totaled seven hits in Sunday’s contest. Robin Villeneuve hit the Vols’ only home run in the series finale.
