Billy Horschel enjoyed a triumphant conclusion to last season, finally claiming a PGA Tour victory for the first time in nearly two years at the Corales Puntacana Championship — and now Tiger Woods has handed him one of the final spots at his exclusive Bahamas tournament.
Horschel joins Jordan Spieth and Akshay Bhatia as the trio receiving the last invitations to the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas this December. The golfer has experienced a turbulent career journey and, last year, went on to compete in an electrifying playoff at the BMW PGA Championship following his Puntacana triumph, ultimately defeating Rory McIlroy.
Horschel subsequently began experiencing hip discomfort and underwent surgery in May of 2025 as a precautionary step after the RBC Heritage, only making his comeback in September at the BMW PGA Championship — an event Horschel captured in both 2021 and 2024.
However, he admitted he genuinely thought 2025 would mark his breakthrough major championship year. “I felt this was going to be the year I get over the hump and make the Ryder Cup team, win a major, check some things off of my career goals,” Horschel said.
“And I wasn’t playing bad but look back and swing-wise, it was a little bit of a struggle and I didn’t know why. And the Monday after Hilton Head I woke up with a sudden pain in my hip that I had never felt before.”
Currently, Horschel is stepping into Woods’ place at the golf legend’s own tournament. The 20-player lineup for the 2025 event will feature five of the world’s top-10 golfers.
Nine Ryder Cup players will also be in the Bahamas, including some champions from Europe such as Robert MacIntyre, Justin Rose and Sepp Straka. Team USA captain, Keegan Bradley, will also be in the field.
Some people are also making their debut at the Hero World Challenge, including J.J. Spaun, Chris Gotterup, and Andrew Novak, but this isn’t Horschel’s first go around at the tournament.
Horschel has participated in 14 Tour tournaments this season, securing two top-10 finishes. He recently competed at the Bank of Utah last week, finishing at T-11, and aims to clinch victory at Woods’ December tournament.
