Who is playing in the Hero World Challenge? Field, top players and predictions

This weekend’s tournament in the Bahamas features 20 of golf’s top players. They’re not all here, but having Tiger, Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland, Max Homa, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, etc. in the field is still pretty impressive.

Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Xander Shauffele and Patrick Cantlay are the top-10 golfers missing the action this weekend. Rahm has been quiet ever since the rumors started spreading about his possible signing with LIV Golf for $600 million. Cantlay’s name has been in the mix too after one of his biggest sponsors dropped him. There’s no official word yet on who’s going to jump ship in the 2024 season, but we should hear something at the beginning of January.

So, who’s playing at Tiger’s tournament this weekend?

Who’s the favorite to win?

We haven’t seen these guys in action much since the Ryder Cup, but if we take into consideration what we saw in Rome and players’ past history at this event, one name pops up: Viktor Hovland. The Ryder Cup hero has won this event twice, the only two times he has played in it. He is perfect at this course in Albany, Bahamas and you can expect big things and low numbers from Hovland.

You can’t count out Scottie Scheffler. The world No. 2 has finished in second place twice over the past two years. Will 2023 be the year he beats Hovland?

Comeback trail

Tiger Woods isn’t the only one making a comeback this weekend. We haven’t seen Woods on the course since he dropped out of play at the Masters in April. All eyes are on the tournament host to see what he can do after several years of struggling on the course since his car accident in February 2021.

The other comeback kid is Will Zalatoris, who has been out of competition since withdrawing from the Masters in April, 2023. He has finally overcome his back injury and he will be a player to follow this weekend.

Ryder Cup members competing

Team Europe has the bragging rights and Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Justin Rose and Sepp Straka will be facing their US counterparts for the first time since they faced in Rome. Representing Team USA at the Hero World Challenge are: Sam Burns, Wyndham Clark, Rickie Fowler, Brian Harman, Max Homa, Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.

It should be fun to watch this weekend. We’re not taking any chances and putting our money on a sure bet: Viktor Hovland.