Hero World Challenge: Tee Times, TV Times, Betting Tips

Hero World Challenge: Pairings, TV Times and a run down of every player in the field this week

Tiger Woods hosts the limited-field Hero World Challenge for its fifth year running in the Bahamas this week, which starts on a Wednesday for the very first time.

This move, to have the tournament end on a Saturday instead, coincides with next week’s Presidents Cup, allowing players an extra day to travel and acclimatise to Australia.

It’s a decision that makes sense, given that U.S Presidents Cup Captain Woods is joined by 10 other members of his 12-man team in Albany, with Dustin Johnson the only player who decided to skip it as he continues his recovery from knee surgery. 

Also in the 18-man field are defending champion Jon Rahm, as well as Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Jordan Spieth, Kevin Kisner, Bubba Watson and Chez Reavie.  

• Date: Dec 4 – 7
• Course: Albany, New Providence
• Prize Fund: $3,500,000
• Defending Champion: Jon Rahm

Hero World Challenge: Tee Times

With 11 of the 12 U.S Presidents Cup team in the field, it’s unsurprising Captain Tiger Woods is using the opportunity to pair off most of the players in his team. The exception, due the odd number, is Matt Kuchar. 

*denotes U.S Presidents Cup players

10.40am: Justin Rose / Jon Rahm
10.51am: Kevin Kisner / Bubba Watson
11.02am: Xander Schauffele* / Gary Woodland*
11.13am: Bryson DeChambeau* / Webb Simpson*
11.24am: Patrick Reed* / Patrick Cantlay*
11.35am: Tiger Woods* / Justin Thomas*
11.46am: Rickie Fowler* / Tony Finau*
11.57am: Chez Reavie / Matt Kuchar*
12.08pm: Henrik Stenson / Jordan Spieth

Hero World Challenge: TV Times

• Wednesday: Sky Sports Golf (18:00), Sky Sports Main Event (18:00)

• Thursday: Sky Sports Main Event (18:00), Sky Sports Golf (18:00)

• Friday: Sky Sports Golf (16:00), Sky Sports Main Event (16:00)

• Saturday: Sky Sports Golf (15:00)

Hero World Challenge: Betting Tips

A run down of everyone in the field at Albany, along with their betting odds for this week.

Jon Rahm: 4/1
Jon Rahm won on his debut here last year, and heads to Albany after being crowned Race to Dubai champion thanks to back to back wins at the Open de Espana and DP World Tour Championship.

Justin Thomas: 13/2
Thomas has played here twice, finishing 11th (’17) and T12 (’18), so hasn’t managed to crack this course just yet. Last teed up at the ZOZO Championship where he finished T17 – his worst result in his last nine starts on Tour, which includes wins at both the BMW Championship and CJ Cup.

Patrick Cantlay: 9/1
Finished T5 on his debut in Albany last year, and has two runner-up finishes in his last four starts on Tour: finishing behind Justin Thomas at the BMW Championship and Kevin Na at the Shriners Hospitals for Children’s Open.

Tiger Woods: 9/1
The host this week is a five time winner of the Hero World Challenge, but in three starts at Albany his best finish is T9 (’17), having finished 15th in 2016 and 17th last year. Claimed the ZOZO Championship on his last outing to tie Sam Snead’s record of 82 PGA Tour wins, but given that he’s got 11 of 12 players in next week’s Presidents Cup in the field this week, we wouldn’t be surprised if the Captain is a little distracted.

Xander Schauffele: 9/1
Schauffele has two runner-up finishes in his last four starts on Tour, at both the Tour Championship and WGC HSBC Champions. The only man ahead of him on both occasions was Rory McIlroy, who isn’t in the field this week. T8 on his debut here last year.

Webb Simpson: 11/1
Webb Simpson is making his return to this event for the first time in a few years, and is making his first start at Albany. Comes here in good form, having finished T7 at the Shriners and 2nd at the RSM Classic, having lost in a playoff – and hasn’t finished outside the top 30 anywhere in his last 14 starts.

Rickie Fowler: 14/1
Fowler was the late addition to the Presidents Cup team, and hasn’t teed up anywhere since his 19th finish at the Tour Championship, but this is the perfect place for him to get ready for Australia. In the four years the tournament has been held in Albany, Fowler has gone 3-T3-WIN-T5.

Justin Rose: 16/1
Back to back top-five’s here in his last two starts at Albany, which is hardly a surprise given that he’s a resident here. Has only finished outside of the top 30 (T34) once in his last seven Tour starts, which includes a T8 at the BMW PGA Championship and T20 at the DP World Tour Championship – both on the European Tour.

Patrick Reed: 18/1
One of the most consistent players of late, a T28 at the DP World Tour Championship was Reed’s worst start since he finished T30 at the Travelers Championship in June – a spell that a win at The Northern Trust and five other top 10s. Finished runner-up in 2015, T5 in 2017 and 11th here last year.

Bryson DeChambeau: 20/1
Followed up his T7 at the Tour Championship with a MC before a T13 at the Safeway Open and T4 at the Shriners, but hasn’t played anywhere since that event at the start of October. Was 12th here on his debut last year.

Gary Woodland: 20/1
The U.S. Open champ finished T8 here last year, and comes for his second trip after a T3 at the CJ Cup, T5 at the ZOZO Championship and T20 at the Japan Tour’s Dunlop Phoenix.

Tony Finau: 25/1
Runner-up finish on his debut here last year. Started the new season well with a T9 at the Shriners (following a top 10 at the European Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Links) but has since gone T59-T53-MC.

Jordan Spieth: 28/1
Spieth claimed this event at Isleworth before the tournament made its home in Albany, but he’s still been impressive here, going 4th (’15), T6 (’16), T3 (’17) before skipping last year. Needs something like this to kickstart his game after dropping to World No.44. Has two top 10s in his last five starts on Tour, but comes here after a T66 at the ZOZO and T43 at the WGC HSBC Championship.

Matt Kuchar: 30/1
In three starts here Kuchar has gone 14 (’15), T3 (’16) and T9 (’17), and comes here after a mixed run of results following the Tour Championship: He missed the cut at both the Porsche European Open and RSM Classic, but finished T14 in Mayakoba.

Henrik Stenson: 33/1
Three top 20s in his last five starts on Tour, although was T44 at the DP World Tour Championship just over a week ago. Has a fairly decent record at Albany with a runner-up in 2016 and 4th place last year – although he was 17th in 2017 thanks to one bad round.

Bubba Watson: 45/1
Watson claimed the title here in 2015 and was T6 in 2016 before a T12 last year, but he’s had just three top 10s this entire calendar year – the last being a T9 at the WGC FedEx St Jude Invitational at the end of July.

Kevin Kisner: 50/1
Finished up the season with back-to-back T9s at the BMW and Tour Championships, but has only cracked the top 30 once in four starts since then – a T28 at the WGC HSBC Champions. Teeing up for the second time, having finished 12th in 2017.

Chez Reavie: 66/1
Reavie claimed the Travelers Championship and finished T5 at East Lake but like Kisner hasn’t had much success since then – his best a T26 at Mayakoba. Making his debut this week as Dustin Johnson’s replacement