Hero World Challenge returns; extends field to 20 golfers

The Hero World Challenge, that features the top Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) players in the world, will make its return to The Bahamas this year after the 2020 edition was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is set for November 29 – December 5 at the Albany Resort Golf Course here on New Providence.

The tournament, which is hosted by Tiger Woods, has increased its playing field from 18 to 20 players beginning with this year’s tournament. The tournament will be broadcasted on the Golf Channel and NBC on December 2-5.

“The enthusiasm among the world’s best golfers to compete in the Hero World Challenge is at an all-time high,” tournament director Mike Antolini said. “We are excited for the tournament’s return to Albany and adding two more players to one of the strongest fields in golf.”

The increased field size is a 

feature that will become a permanent fixture of the Hero World Challenge. The winner of The Players Championship will receive an automatic invitation, joining the defending champion and the current year’s major winners.

Since the 2020 tournament was not held, major winners from 2020 also will receive invitations into this year’s tournament. The remainder of the field will be comprised of players ranked in the top 50 in the official world golf ranking.

Woods is still looking for his first win at the Hero World Challenge since the tournament was moved to Albany. He won five Hero World tournaments and was runner up five times when it was held at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California.

Swede Henrik Stenson is the defending champion and has bragging rights for at least another year. At last year’s tournament, he was second after three rounds of play, one stroke behind American Gary Woodland. It was on the back nine at hole number 15, a par-5 hole, that Stenson took the lead, picking up a timely eagle. He was even par the rest of the way to hold on, finishing with a score of -18, 270. Jon Rahm was second with -17, 271. Woods finished fourth with a score of -14, 274.

Over the course of the four rounds, Stenson finished with two eagles and 19 birdies.

The other winners of the Hero World Challenge event, since it moved to Albany, are Spanish golfer Jon Rahm (2018), American Rickey Fowler (2017), Japanese golfer Hidekia Matsuyama (2016) and American golfer Bubba Watson (2015).

Fowler holds the tournament record for the best 18-hole score at -11, 61. He did it in the fourth and final round in 2017.

This is the first TGR Live event outside of The Bahamas. The Hero World Challenge tournament is a driving force for charitable efforts for the TGR Foundation, Tavistock Foundation and the Bahamas Youth Foundation.

As part of ongoing relief and rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Dorian in September 2019, the 2019 Hero World Challenge contributed $184,500 to the One Bahamas Fund through a charity challenge to the players – a donation of $500 for each birdie, $1,000 for each eagle and $2,500 for each hole in one. The 18 players in the field made 337 birdies and 16 eagles over the course of the four-day tournament.

Hero MotoCorp, located in New Delhi, India, is the title sponsor for the tournament.

The post Hero World Challenge returns; extends field to 20 golfers appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/hero-world-challenge-returns-extends-field-to-20-golfers/