The Hero World Challenge, hosted by Tiger Woods, announced the field for the 2025 edition of the event on Tuesday. The tournament will be played at its traditional venue, the Albany Golf Course in New Providence, The Bahamas, on Dec. 4-7.
As every year since 2022, the field will feature 20 players, 17 of whom are invited from among the top-ranked players available according to the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). The other three spots will be filled with sponsor exemptions, which will be announced at a later date.
Scottie Scheffler leads the field as the world No. 1 and two-time defending champion. Scheffler is looking to become the second player to win the Hero World Challenge more than twice (Woods did it five times) and the first to win three consecutive titles.
The event has some notable absences, including Rory McIlroy, Russell Henley and Tommy Fleetwood. However, it will feature six members of the top 10 and 11 members of the top 20 in the OWGR.
Below is the field of the Hero World Challenge:
Scottie Scheffler (1)Xander Schauffele (3)Justin Thomas (5)J.J. Spaun (7)Robert MacIntyre (9)Harris English (10)Keegan Bradley (11)Justin Rose (12)Sepp Straka (13)Hideki Matsuyama (16)Cameron Young (20)Patrick Cantlay (21)Sam Burns (22)Corey Conners (24)Chris Gotterup (26)Wyndham Clark (27)Brian Harman (28)Three tournament exemptions TBAThe Chance of Seeing Tiger Woods Playing Again
The fact that three spots are still available opens up the possibility that Woods himself could make his return to competitive golf there, as he has done before. As you may recall, the 15-time major champion has been away from the courses since last March due to a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Woods is scheduled to compete in the second season of the TGL, which begins in late December. His team, Jupiter Links Golf Club, will make its debut on January 13 against McIlroy’s Boston Common Golf.
Another possible scenario for seeing Woods in action again is the PGA Tour Champions’ PNC Championship, in which he traditionally participates as a team with his son Charlie. This event will be played Dec. 20-21 at its usual venue, the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida.
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