Golf-Woods not part of in initial Hero World Challenge field

Tournament host Tiger Woods was ​not listed in the ​initial player field ‌released on ​Monday for the December 3 to 6 Hero World Challenge in Albany, Bahamas, ‌but could still be added as one of the three exemption spots. The 15-times major champion has not competed in an official event ‌since the 2024 British Open due to a combination ‌of injuries, surgeries and legal complications. Woods accepted a five-year suspension of his driver's license last month after reaching a deal with prosecutors in ⁠his ​impaired-driving case.

World number ⁠one Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Hideki Matsuyama are among the 17 ⁠players who have officially committed to the Hero World Challenge's 20-man ​field. Scheffler, who won back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024, ⁠and Matsuyama are both looking to become the first three-time winner at ⁠Albany. In ​total, seven of the top 10 players in the world are among those in the field, a group that ⁠in addition to Scheffler includes Cameron Young, Matt Fitzpatrick, Russell Henley, ⁠Chris Gotterup, ⁠Sam Burns and Xander Schauffele.

The rest of the field will be announced at a later ‌date.