The Hero World Challenge returns to the Bahamas and the Albany Resort. This will be the eighth time that the Albany course will host the year-end event for the PGA Tour. Officially opened in 2010, the Ernie Els designed course measures over 7,400 yards from the back tees. The 20-man field will have to contend with a links-style layout that contains strategic water hazards, windswept dunes, and challenging lies around the green.
Though it’s not an official PGA Tour event and no FedExCup points are awarded, the golfers can earn points in the Official World Golf Rankings. The total purse is $3.5 million with $1 million going to the champion. 82-time PGA Tour winner Tiger Woods is the host of this event, and he returns to action for the first time since the Masters seven months ago. Woods did not play in last year’s Hero World Challenge as he withdrew before the tournament due to the same plantar fasciitis condition that he is battling to overcome.
As seen below, the 20 golfers in the field encompass most of the best players in the world. 16 of the top 27 players in the Official World Golf Rankings will be in attendance. This includes fourth-ranked Viktor Hovland who has won this event the past two years. Along with Woods, Will Zalatoris is set to return to action after recovering from a herniated disk in his back that he suffered at the 2022 BMW Championship. He made seven starts in 2023 before withdrawing before the first round of the Masters.
The unique par-72, 7,414-yard course has five par-3s and five par-5s. Its eight par-4 holes are the fewest amount on any course on Tour. It is generous off the tee, but there’s plenty of sand and tropical vegetation to gobble up loose tee shots. Including the five par 5s and two drivable par 4s, having power off the tee is definitely an advantage. Last year the course played 2.5 strokes under par. This resort course definitely serves up plenty of birdies as the winning score here has averaged 19-under par.
As is the case with most coastal courses, the strength of the wind is the x-factor. Steady winds from 15 to 30 mph are forecast throughout the weekend. This will most likely affect golfers the most on their approach shots into these tiny greens which measure just 4,500 square feet.
The course features wall-to-wall Bermuda grass and very little rough. Golfers’ short games will be tested with short-grass chipping and collection areas that surround tough green complexes. The surrounding sandy waste areas will also make life difficult for inaccurate players. The small greens along with the wind will cause players to rely on their short-game skills. With the greens being Bermuda, players who have shown putting skill on this surface are preferred. Being an island course, greens will run much slower at around 10.5 on the stimp meter.
Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images