Here are the Round 1 tee times and viewing information for the Hero World Challenge in Albany Bahamas.
The Hero World Challenge begins Wednesday at Albany Golf Club in Nassau, Bahamas, with a field packed with some of the some of professional golf’s top competitors.
Tiger Woods, tournament host and playing captain for the U.S. Team, will compete for the first time since earning his 82nd PGA Tour win at the Zozo Championship in October.
The event will not just go toward satisfying a PGA Tour craving as the seasons takes a break in December, but it will also go toward helping those affected by Hurricane Dorian which devastated the Bahamas in August. For every birdie made during the Hero, $500 will be donated to the ONE Bahamas Fund. Eagles will raise $1,000 and an ace will bring a donation of $2,500.
Below are the tee times for the first round of the Hero World Challenge.
All times are listed in Eastern Standard Time.
Round 1
1st tee
Tee time
Players
10:40 a.m.
Justin Rose, Jon Rahm
10:51 a.m.
Kevin Kisner, Bubba Watson
11:02 a.m.
Xander Schauffele, Gary Woodland
11:13 a.m.
Bryson DeChambeau, Webb Simpson
11:24 a.m.
Patrick Reed, Patrick Cantlay
11:35 a.m.
Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas
11:46 a.m.
Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau
11:57 a.m.
Chez Reavie, Matt Kuchar
12:08 p.m.
Henrik Stenson, Jordan Spieth
Viewing information
All information is in Eastern Standard Time.
Wednesday
Golf Channel: 1-4 p.m.
Replay on Golf Channel: 5-8 p.m. and 1-3:30 a.m. on Thursday.
Thursday
Golf Channel: 1-4 p.m.
Replay on Golf Channel: 5-8 p.m. and 1-3:30 a.m. on Friday.
Friday
Golf Channel: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Replay on Golf Channel: 6-8 p.m. and 1-2:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Saturday
Golf Channel: 10 a.m. – Noon
NBC: Noon – 3 p.m.
Replay on Golf Channel: 6-11 p.m. on Sunday, 3-6 a.m. and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Monday
Here are betting odds, predictions and bet bets for the Hero World Challenge in Albany Bahamas.
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Host Tiger Woods and 17 more of the top golfers in the world are in the Bahamas this week for the Hero World Challenge. The condensed field consists of six of the top 10 golfers from the Official World Golf Ranking, including Woods and defending champ Jon Rahm. It is played at Albany which measures 7,302 yards and plays as a par 72.
The showcase tournament is the final standard stroke-play event on the PGA Tour in 2019. The Presidents Cup and QBE Shootout will run next week. There’ll then be a brief hiatus before the Sentry Tournament of Champions and Sony Open kick off the 2020 portion of the schedule in the first two weeks of January from Hawaii.
The small field and champion pedigree of each of those in attendance means bettors need to adjust their strategies this week. Make fewer, larger wagers while focusing on those at the top of the board. Only three golfers — Bubba Watson, Kevin Kisner and Chez Reavie— have odds greater than +3000. Don’t go chasing higher payouts, as each of the past four champions entered the week ranked inside the top 10 of the OWGR.
Hero World Challenge – Odds, picks and best bets
Xander Schauffele. Photo Credit: Adam Hagy – USA TODAY Sports
Woods has won this event five times but not since 2011 and never at this venue. He claimed his first victory of the season at the Zozo Championship in Japan in late October but hasn’t played a pro event since. He finished second-to-last here last year, but he has since climbed to No. 7 in the world. Woods has the fourth-best world ranking among those in attendance and is fourth by the odds at BetMGM in a rare case of him not being overpriced as a public favorite.
Xander Schauffele +900
Schauffele enters the week ranked ninth by the OWGR. He most recently finished as the runner-up at the WGC-HSBC Champions following a T-10 at the Zozo Championship. He debuted at this event with a T-8 finish last year. He has been an excellent early-season performer over his young career and looks to stay hot ahead of his defense of the Tournament of Champions next month.
Webb Simpson +1200
Simpson is the second-best putter in this field behind Jordan Spieth (+2500), who will not be winning. He is coming off a solo runner-up finish at the RSM Classic and sits at No. 11 in the world ranking. This is his debut at Albany, but Rahm won in his debut a year ago.
Complete odds
Golfer
Odds
Jon Rahm
+400
Justin Thomas
+650
Patrick Cantlay
+850
Tiger Woods
+900
Xander Schauffele
+900
Webb Simpson
+1200
Justin Rose
+1400
Rickie Fowler
+1400
Bryson DeChambeau
+1800
Gary Woodland
+1800
Patrick Reed
+1800
Tony Finau
+2200
Jordan Spieth
+2500
Henrik Stenson
+2800
Matt Kuchar
+2800
Bubba Watson
+3500
Kevin Kisner
+4000
Chez Reavie
+6000
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Here are the fantasy golf power rankings for the World Hero Challenge.
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The 2019 Hero World Challenge brings host Tiger Woods and 17 more of the top golfers in the world to The Bahamas for the final individual PGA Tour event of 2019. The Presidents Cup and QBE Shootout will run next week before the golf world takes a short hiatus ahead of the Sentry Tournament of Champions in the first week of January.
The event returns to Albany for a fifth consecutive year. Three of the previous four champions, including defending champ Jon Rahm, are back. A total of six of the top 10 golfers from the Official World Golf Ranking are in the field and competing for their share of the $3.5 million purse.
Fantasy Golf Rankings
Here are my fantasy golf rankings for the 2019 Hero World Challenge at Albany.
18. Chez Reavie
Named as the replacement for Dustin Johnson last week, as the No. 4 golfer in the world top . Reavie enters the week ranked No. 36 in the world, having moved up from No. 63 at the end of last year.
17. Kevin Kisner
Last played here in 2017 and tied for 12th. He enters in poor form having missed the cut at the RSM Classic and tied for 76th at the Mayakoba Golf Classic.
16. Henrik Stenson
Doesn’t have a win since the 2017 Wyndham Championship but has five top-10 showings in 2019. He was fourth here last year and was the runner-up in 2016.
15. Jordan Spieth
The 2014 Hero World Challenge champ got his victory at a different venue (Isleworth Country Club). He didn’t participate last year but was T-3 in 2017. He’s the top putter in the field, but his tee-to-green game remains a mess. Has the worst OWGR ranking among those in attendance (No. 44).
14. Bubba Watson
Holds the tournament scoring record at Albany at 25-under par set in his 2015 victory. He’s collected three top 10 finishes in 2019, but he missed the cut in two of his last five events with a top finish of T-28 in that time.
13. Matt Kuchar
The 23rd-ranked golfer in the world hasn’t won since last season’s Sony Open in Hawaii. He is a two-time runner-up in 2019 with four other top 10s matching his number of missed cuts.
Gary Woodland lines up his putt on the third green during the final round of the Tour Championship golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club. Photo Credit: Butch Dill – USA TODAY Sports
12. Gary Woodland
The reigning U.S. Open champ tied for eighth in his debut at Albany last year. He has slipped to No. 18 in the world after peaking at No. 12, but he is coming off a disappointing T-20 finish in a weaker field at the Japan Tour’s Dunlop Phoenix.
11. Bryson DeChambeau
Slipped from No. 5 in the world at this time last year to No. 12 entering this week. He hasn’t played in an event since finishing T-4 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in the first week of October. A strong putter, but his ball-striking game hasn’t been in good enough form.
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10. Tony Finau
An expert ball-striker but he won’t have his usual advantage off the tee due to the tight confines of Albany with forced layups on the shorter holes. He was the runner-up last year, but he’s coming off a very disappointing missed cut in a weaker field at the Mayakoba Golf Classic.
9. Patrick Reed
Has struggled slightly with the flat stick of late. His 11th-place finish last year was his worst result in four attempts at Albany, but he was the runner-up in his 2015 debut.
Rickie Fowler walks to the fourth hole during the second round of the Tour Championship golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club. Photo Credit: Butch Dill – USA TODAY Sports
8. Rickie Fowler
The 2017 champ has never finished worse than his T-5 in 2018. The No. 22 golfer in the world hasn’t played a worldwide event since his 19th-place finish at the Tour Championship to conclude the 2018-19 season.
7. Justin Rose
Leads the field in Opportunities Gained over everyone’s last 36 rounds, per Fantasy National. He finished solo third last year following a T-5 in 2017. His last victory came at the Farmers Insurance Open, and he had six other top-10 showings in 2019.
6. Webb Simpson
Enters the week just outside the top 10 in the world ranking at No. 11 following his runner-up finish at the RSM Classic. He’s the only golfer in the field making his debut at Albany, but Rahm made his debut in victory a year ago.
5. Patrick Cantlay
Twice finished as the runner-up since the beginning of August at the BMW Championship and the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Collected his second PGA Tour win at the Memorial Tournament and tied for fifth here last year.
4. Tiger Woods
The host is a five-time winner of this event but never at Albany. His top result at this venue was a T-9 in 2017. He got his first win of the season at the Zozo Championship in Japan, but he may be too focused on the Presidents Cup ahead of his duties as a player-captain.
3. Justin Thomas
Leads the field in Strokes Gained: Ball-Striking and Strokes Gained: Total but has been struggling with the putter. He failed to crack the top 10 in each of his previous two attempts at this event, but he already grabbed his first win of the season at the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges in South Korea.
Xander Schauffele lines up his putt on the 18th green during the final round of the Tour Championship golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club. Photo Credit: Adam Hagy – USA TODAY Sports
2. Xander Schauffele
A T-8 finisher here last year, he is coming off a runner-up result at the WGC-HSBC Champions in China. He has one victory, three runner-ups and a third-place finish in 2019.
1. Jon Rahm
Leads the field with a world ranking of No. 3 following victories in each of his last two events, at the Open de Espana and the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. He looks to defend his title at this event with a total of three victories, two runner-ups and two third-place results in 2019.
Previewing the 2019 Hero World Challenge and looking at the best fantasy golf selections for Albany.
The 2019 Hero World Challenge brings host Tiger Woods and 17 more of the top golfers in the world to The Bahamas for the final individual PGA Tour event of 2019. The Presidents Cup and QBE Shootout will run next week before the golf world takes a short hiatus ahead of the Sentry Tournament of Champions in the first week of January.
The event returns to Albany for a fifth consecutive year. Three of the previous four champions, including defending champ Jon Rahm, are back. A total of six of the top 10 golfers from the Official World Golf Ranking are in the field and competing for their share of the $3.5 million purse.
Fantasy Golf Rankings: Top 30
Here are my fantasy golf rankings for the 2019 Hero World Challenge at Albany.
18. Chez Reavie
Named as the replacement for Dustin Johnson last week, as the No. 4 golfer in the world withdrew in preparation for the Presidents Cup. He enters the week ranked No. 36 in the world, having moved up from No. 63 at the end of last year.
17. Kevin Kisner
Last played here in 2017 and tied for 12th. He enters in poor form having missed the cut at the RSM Classic and tied for 76th at the Mayakoba Golf Classic.
16. Henrik Stenson
Doesn’t have a win since the 2017 Wyndham Championship but has five top-10 showings in 2019. He was fourth here last year and was the runner-up in 2016.
15. Jordan Spieth
The 2014 Hero World Challenge champ got his victory at a different venue (Isleworth Country Club). He didn’t participate last year but was T-3 in 2017. He’s the top putter in the field, but his tee-to-green game remains a mess. Has the worst OWGR ranking among those in attendance (No. 44).
14. Bubba Watson
Holds the tournament scoring record at Albany at 25-under par set in his 2015 victory. He’s collected three top 10 finishes in 2019, but he missed the cut in two of his last five events with a top finish of T-28 in that time.
13. Matt Kuchar
The 23rd-ranked golfer in the world hasn’t won since last season’s Sony Open in Hawaii. He is a two-time runner-up in 2019 with four other top 10s matching his number of missed cuts.
Aug 25, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Gary Woodland lines up his putt on the third green during the final round of the Tour Championship golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club. Photo Credit: Butch Dill – USA TODAY Sports
12. Gary Woodland
The reigning U.S. Open champ tied for eighth in his debut at Albany last year. He has slipped to No. 18 in the world after peaking at No. 12, but he is coming off a disappointing T-20 finish in a weaker field at the Japan Tour’s Dunlop Phoenix.
11. Bryson DeChambeau
Slipped from No. 5 in the world at this time last year to No. 12 entering this week. He hasn’t played in an event since finishing T-4 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in the first week of October. A strong putter, but his ball-striking game hasn’t been in good enough form.
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10. Tony Finau
An expert ball-striker but he won’t have his usual advantage off the tee due to the tight confines of Albany with forced layups on the shorter holes. He was the runner-up last year, but he’s coming off a very disappointing missed cut in a weaker field at the Mayakoba Golf Classic.
9. Patrick Reed
Has struggled slightly with the flat stick of late. His 11th-place finish last year was his worst result in four attempts at Albany, but he was the runner-up in his 2015 debut.
Aug 23, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Rickie Fowler walks to the fourth hole during the second round of the Tour Championship golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club. Photo Credit: Butch Dill – USA TODAY Sports
8. Rickie Fowler
The 2017 champ has never finished worse than his T-5 in 2018. The No. 22 golfer in the world hasn’t played a worldwide event since his 19th-place finish at the Tour Championship to conclude the 2018-19 season.
7. Justin Rose
Leads the field in Opportunities Gained over everyone’s last 36 rounds, per Fantasy National. He finished solo third last year following a T-5 in 2017. His last victory came at the Farmers Insurance Open, and he had six other top-10 showings in 2019.
6. Webb Simpson
Enters the week just outside the top 10 in the world ranking at No. 11 following his runner-up finish at the RSM Classic. He’s the only golfer in the field making his debut at Albany, but Rahm made his debut in victory a year ago.
5. Patrick Cantlay
Twice finished as the runner-up since the beginning of August at the BMW Championship and the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Collected his second PGA Tour win at the Memorial Tournament and tied for fifth here last year.
4. Tiger Woods
The host is a five-time winner of this event but never at Albany. His top result at this venue was a T-9 in 2017. He got his first win of the season at the Zozo Championship in Japan, but he may be too focused on the Presidents Cup ahead of his duties as a player-captain.
3. Justin Thomas
Leads the field in Strokes Gained: Ball-Striking and Strokes Gained: Total but has been struggling with the putter. He failed to crack the top 10 in each of his previous two attempts at this event, but he already grabbed his first win of the season at the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges in South Korea.
Aug 25, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Xander Schauffele lines up his putt on the 18th green during the final round of the Tour Championship golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club. Photo Credit: Adam Hagy – USA TODAY Sports
2. Xander Schauffele
A T-8 finisher here last year, he is coming off a runner-up result at the WGC-HSBC Champions in China. He has one victory, three runner-ups and a third-place finish in 2019.
1. Jon Rahm
Leads the field with a world ranking of No. 3 following victories in each of his last two events, at the Open de Espana and the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. He looks to defend his title at this event with a total of three victories, two runner-ups and two third-place results in 2019.
Analyzing the 2019 Hero World Challenge and which golfers are the best options for the event. Who will win at Albany?
Host Tiger Woods and 17 more of the top golfers in the world are in The Bahamas this week for the Hero World Challenge. The condensed field consists of six of the top 10 golfers from the Official World Golf Ranking, including Woods and defending champ Jon Rahm. It is played at Albany which measures 7,302 yards and plays as a par 72.
The showcase tournament is the final standard stroke-play event on the PGA Tour in 2019. The Presidents Cup and QBE Shootout will run next week. There’ll then be a brief hiatus before the Sentry Tournament of Champions and Sony Open kick off the 2020 portion of the schedule in the first two weeks of January from Hawaii.
The small field and champion pedigree of each of those in attendance means bettors need to adjust their strategies this week. Make fewer, larger wagers while focusing on those at the top of the board. Only three golfers — Bubba Watson, Kevin Kisner and Chez Reavie — have odds greater than +3000. Don’t go chasing higher payouts, as each of the past four champions entered the week ranked inside the top 10 of the OWGR.
Woods has won this event five times but not since 2011 and never at this venue. He claimed his first victory of the season at the Zozo Championship in Japan in late October but hasn’t played a pro event since. He finished second-to-last here last year, but he has since climbed to No. 7 in the world. Woods has the fourth-best world ranking among those in attendance and is fourth by the odds at BetMGM in a rare case of him not being overpriced as a public favorite.
Xander Schauffele +900
Schauffele enters the week ranked ninth by the OWGR. He most recently finished as the runner-up at the WGC-HSBC Champions following a T-10 at the Zozo Championship. He debuted at this event with a T-8 finish last year. He has been an excellent early-season performer over his young career and looks to stay hot ahead of his defense of the Tournament of Champions next month.
Webb Simpson +1200
Simpson is the second-best putter in this field behind Jordan Spieth (+2500), who will not be winning. He is coming off a solo runner-up finish at the RSM Classic and sits at No. 11 in the world ranking. This is his debut at Albany, but Rahm won in his debut a year ago.
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The year-end Hero World Challenge typically offers blunt assessments on the state of Tiger Woods.
NASSAU, Bahamas – How quickly we forget.
The year-end Hero World Challenge, a rich-get-richer gathering in a secluded development appearing unscathed by hurricane Dorian, typically offers blunt assessments on the state of Tiger Woods.
And while the week is always a reminder of the tournament beneficiary TGR Foundation and its incredible success shaping young lives, the Hero has turned up at wildly inconvenient times over the last decade.
The 2009 playing at Sherwood Country Club exuded the atmosphere of a state funeral while Woods remained holed up at an undisclosed location after his fire hydrant run-in.
Six years later, Woods appeared at the first playing in the Bahamas unable to play and unable to see any light at the end of a dark injury tunnel.
“There’s really nothing I can look forward to, nothing I can build towards,” said Woods, adding, “where is the light at the end of the tunnel? I don’t know.”
There were recent years we feared watching bouts with chipping and driving yips, other flashes of Woods’ brilliance offering hope of one last run, and a few years when his game was fine but not sharp.
Which may explain the smiles all the way around this week as he deals with the first-world burdens of hosting on behalf of his foundation while also preparing for next week’s Presidents Cup.
Woods kicked off the week with various Hero-related media obligations. Appearing fit, fresh and upbeat while sporting a blue Nike mock shirt and black pants, he talked with Golf Channel’s Lisa Cornwell about the state of Tiger the golfer.
“I feel good,” he said. “I’ve been practicing a lot around the greens to be dialed in for the next two weeks.”
Woods noted the short game focus with a nod to Albany’s elevated green complexes and grainy Bermuda grass surrounds that can expose the slightest miss, followed by the complicated green complexes at Royal Melbourne next week. With two wins this year and several other moments of glory — beating Rory McIlroy at the WGC Match Play seems like years ago — Woods appears excited about his increasingly hands-on role with his business operations and the task of prepping to be a playing captain at next week’s Presidents Cup.
During a breezy chat with longtime friend Cornwell that started 15 minutes before cameras were rolling, Woods said there is too much “on my plate” to even look ahead to 2020. But armed with the winner’s green jacket in his home closet, a record-tying 82nd PGA Tour win, and a repaired knee, Woods turns up here no longer wondering whether he’ll be able to play well again. Instead, the focus naturally turns to the ultimate record, with Cornwell asking if Nicklaus’ mark of 18 major championships is within reach.
“I think it is. I have to do everything right. I have to have all the pieces come together.”
At this Hero World Challenge, Woods has all of the pieces of his life and career back together. A welcome respite from years past, a week of smiles and some decent golf will carry him to Melbourne, and if his body holds up, another year of pursuing some of golf’s greatest records.
For every birdie made during Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge, $500 will be donated to the ONE Bahamas Fund.
The destruction caused by Hurricane Dorian has left thousands of Bahamians homeless three months after the Category 5 hurricane hit the Abacos and then Grand Bahama. Several PGA Tour stars playing in the Hero World Challenge have raised money for relief efforts, and the tournament will continue its support this week.
For every birdie made during the Hero, $500 will be donated to the ONE Bahamas Fund. Eagles will raise $1,000 and an ace will bring a donation of $2,500. Tiger Woods is among those in the field with homes in the Bahamas along with Justin Rose. Adam Scott, who is not playing this week as he prepares for the Presidents Cup, also has a home in Albany.
Woods teamed up with Justin Timberlake, Nexus Luxury Collection and members at Albany to establish the ONE Bahamas Fund in September. Woods, the host of this week’s Hero World Challenge, said $6 million has been raised so far.
“We’re all devastated. We’ve seen what has happened to Grand Bahama and surrounding areas,” Woods said Monday morning on Golf Channel. “We got spared; we got lucky that it stayed to the east of us. Others weren’t. Some don’t have homes any more. Some don’t have running water. We’re trying to help as much as we possibly can.”
Woods said back home in Jupiter, Florida, there’s a hotel close to his restaurant where many Bahamians are staying because they can’t get back home.
“They had no home to go back to,” Woods said. “They didn’t know what happened to family members. It was devastating to see the stories that were told. Anything we can do to help; this is just the beginning.”
Damage from Dorian has been estimated at $3.4 billion, with more than 240 people still missing, according to a report in the Miami Herald.
Tiger Woods still believes Jack Nicklaus’ major record is in reach, as long as he does everything right just like at Augusta National.
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With planning to host the Hero World Challenge and getting ready for his role as a playing captain at the Presidents Cup, Tiger Woods says he hasn’t had any time to think about 2020.
Woods is in the Bahamas this week to host the Hero, which benefits his foundation. So win number 83 hasn’t exactly been top of mind, he said.
“I have been so busy trying to figure this stuff out. My mind hasn’t crept to 2020,” he said Monday morning during an interview with Lisa Cornwell on Golf Channel.
The Hero marks Woods’ return to competition – albeit a limited field of 18 of the world’s top players – since he won the Zozo Championship in Japan. That win was No. 82, tying Sam Snead for the most in PGA Tour history, and it came just a few weeks after Woods had a surgical procedure on his left knee.
So is 18 majors still attainable?
“I think it is. Obviously I have to do everything right like I did at Augusta. I have to have all the pieces come together,” said Woods, who turns 44 on Dec. 30. “Who knows? I was 14-1 when either leading outright or tied for the lead going into Sunday. I finally broke that slide and came from behind.
“Who knows? I’ve done it different ways. I’ve won tournaments; I’ve done that different ways. And I have finally won a major in different ways. Who knows what the future holds.”
Dustin Johnson will take another week to recover from knee surgery earlier in the fall, but still plans to play the Presidents Cup.
Dustin Johnson’s recovery time has just grown by a week. The world No. 4 has not teed it up since the Tour Championship in August, and on Saturday announced that he won’t play the Hero World Challenge, either. Johnsonhad arthroscopic surgery in September to repair cartilage damage in his left knee.
Johnson made the announcement on Twitter. He specifically addressed the Presidents Cup, to be played the week after the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. He automatically qualified for the U.S. team, and still intends to play despite his lack of competitive reps leading up to the matches in Australia.
“After a lot of careful thought and consultation, I have decided that it is in my best interest if I withdraw from next week’s Hero World Challenge,” he wrote. “While my recovery from knee surgery is complete, I feel another week of physical therapy and practice will best prepare me for the Presidents Cup. I have informed Captain Woods of my decision, which he fully supports and understands, and cannot wait to tee it up with him and my teammates next week in Australia.”
Chez Reavie will replace Johnson in the limited-field Hero event. It will be Reavie’s debut in that field.
During a PGA Tour radio interview in late September, Johnson said his rehab was progressing well and that he expected to be ready by the time the Hero rolled around.
In his last eight PGA Tour starts, Johnson has failed to produce a top-10 finish. It’s the longest such drought since his rookie year in 2008.
In a statement announcing Reavie’s entry in the field, Woods also addressed Johnson withdrawal.
“I wish Dustin the best and I know he’s disappointed not to be playing at Albany.”
Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion, is scheduled to make his return from a wrist injury that sidelined him since June in his native land.
The Euro Tour then continues its African sojourn at the Afrasia Bank Mauritius Open, but the eyes of the golf world will be on The Bahamas, where Tiger Woods plays host to the Hero World Challenge.
Last we saw Woods he was polishing off a vintage performance in Japan and hoisting his record-tying 82nd Tour title. Winning the Hero won’t count as an official victory, but count Woods in for at least a top-20 finish. That’s because it is only an 18-man field. It is a star-studded field, to be sure, with several members of the U.S. Presidents Cup team among the contestants, including defending champion Rickie Fowler. Don’t forget about the PNC Father-Son in Orlando, where golf fans can drink in the nostalgia of watching Jack Nicklaus (and grandson), Gary Player, Tom Watson, and for the first, Annika Sorenstam (with her father) team up in a two-person scramble format.
Meanwhile, most of The International Team will be getting acclimated to life in Oz at the Australian Open. Aussies Jason Day, Marc Leishman, Adam Scott and Cameron Smith return home as conquering heroes to face the test of The Australian Golf Club.
That takes us to the Presidents Cup, Dec. 12-15, at Royal Melbourne, where the International side will seek its first win since 1998 – when the biennial competition was held at none other than Royal Melbourne. Woods will serve as the first playing captain since Hale Irwin in 1994. The Presidents Cup is going to air in prime time in the U.S. on the east coast. For the golf junkie, the daytime matinee is the QBE Shootout at Tiburón Golf Course in Naples, Florida. The Greg Norman-hosted team competition has a lot of the usual suspects, including defending champs Brian Harman and Patton Kizzire, but the team worth tuning in for is rookies Viktor Hovland and Matthew Wolff.
But wait, there’s more
The real drama that weekend will be contested across the state in Winter Garden, Florida, at the final stage of Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School. There’s an old saying in golf that pros eat what they kill. The most direct route to PGA Tour status is through the Korn Ferry Tour and those finishing in the top 40 (and ties) at Q-School will be a leg up on the competition to make the next step to the promised land. If the Presidents Cup is about playing for pride and country, Q-School is about playing for your livelihood.
And just when you thought that all this golf in one weekend was the equivalent of a fireworks finale, the European Tour has last call before calling it quits for 2019 on the Gold Coast of Australia at the co-sanctioned Australian PGA Championship.
Wonderful World marathon
At last, the last week of the year is a veritable golf wasteland, a chance for rest and relaxation and to recharge the batteries. But never fear, the Golf Channel has us covered with marathon re-run of Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf matches on New Year’s Eve. Is there a better way to ring in the New Year, or to stock your DVR for an impending winter blizzard? But just when you’re feeling the first pangs of missing live tournament golf coverage, the wait is over and balls will be in the air in Maui for the PGA Tour’s winners-only Sentry Tournament of Champions on Jan. 2.
Pro golf in December: it ranks right up there with egg nog, kissing under the Mistletoe and decking the halls with boughs of holly.
