Tiger Woods Reveals Final Three Competitors for 2025 Hero World Challenge

Tiger Woods Announces Final Player Selections for Hero World Challenge

Tiger Woods has finalized the last three exemptions for his 20-man Hero World Challenge, set to occur at the renowned Albany venue in The Bahamas from December 4-7.

Joining the event will be Jordan Spieth, Billy Horschel, and Akshay Bhatia, who have each received exemptions for the $5 million tournament, benefiting the Tiger Woods Foundation.

All three golfers have faced challenging seasons on the PGA Tour. At the beginning of the year, there was optimism for their inclusion in Keegan Bradley’s 2025 Ryder Cup team, but ultimately, none made the cut for Bethpage.

Spieth, who previously won the Hero World Challenge in 2014—the last event before its move to Albany—achieved a record 10-stroke victory over Henrik Stenson at Isleworth Golf & Country Club in Florida. Horschel recently returned to competitive play at the BMW PGA but unfortunately missed the cut. Bhatia started the season strong with a T3 finish at The Players but has struggled to maintain that momentum since.

Therefore, all three players will be eager to conclude their season successfully, aiming to build confidence heading into 2026.

Scottie Scheffler Aims for Historic Third Win

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler will headline the event as the favorite, having successfully claimed victory in the last two Hero World Challenges. His most recent win was last season, where he finished six strokes ahead of Tom Kim, marking the largest victory margin since the event’s relocation to Albany.

Hero World Challenge Overview

The Hero World Challenge has been conducted since 2000, with Hero taking over as title sponsor in 2014, the same year Spieth won. Since 2015, the tournament has been hosted at Albany, benefiting the Tiger Woods Foundation. While it appears on the PGA Tour schedule, it is not an official event, with a prize fund of $5 million and the winner receiving $1 million.

Tiger Woods’ Absence from the Competition

Woods will not participate this year as he recovers from his seventh back surgery, following a previous surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon. Experts suggest he may spend the next three months away from competitive play, with hopes of returning for the Masters in under six months. His last competitive appearance was at The Open in July 2024, where he missed the cut.

Updated Player Field for the Hero World Challenge

Originally scheduled to play, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele will be replaced by Andrew Novak and Alex Noren. Novak, JJ Spaun, and Chris Gotterup will all debut in this event.