The PGA Tour may be on hiatus over the Holidays, but that doesn’t mean the world of professional golf is taking time off. A select group of the best players assembles this week in the Bahamas for the return of the Hero World Challenge. A COVID casualty last year, the unofficial tournament does not offer FedExCup points, but there is a stack of money and it counts toward the Official World Golf Rankings. All proceeds benefit the Tiger Woods Foundation and there’s a chance the Big Cat makes an appearance, which is good news for the world of golf. Henrik Stenson returns as defending champ having won by a single shot in the 2019 edition. However, he’s at the bottom of the odds list. Four players, led by world No. 2 Collin Morikawa opened with better than 10/1 odds, but with such a talented field attacking the Albany Golf Club, it’s really anybody’s game. Visit Bookmaker.eu for updated odds and to place your wager.
Odds to Win Hero World Challenge
Collin Morikawa +705
Rory McIlroy +725
Justin Thomas +850
Viktor Hovland +950
Bryson Dechambeau +1000
Jordan Spieth +1000
Xander Schauffele +1200
Sam Burns +1200
Scottie Scheffler +1400
Tony Finau +1400
Daniel Berger +1600
Webb Simpson +1600
Brooks Koepka +1800
Abraham Ancer +1800
Matthew Fitzpatrick +2000
Justin Rose +2500
Tyrrell Hatton +2500
Patrick Reed +2500
Harris English +2800
Henrik Stenson +6000
Odds Analysis
Tony Finau +1400
There are a few players who can take advantage of the long par-5s and Finau is one of them. He’s had decent results at Albany in his two previous stops with a runner-up in 2018 and a T10 the following year. And it would behoove Finau to rid himself of some negative vibes after he captured THE NORTHERN TRUST a few months ago. Not that he’s playing poorly, and I probably wouldn’t have put him on this list if he was, but he just hasn’t been as consistent as we’ve seen him in the past.
Matthew Fitzpatrick +2000
He doesn’t have the same credentials as most other players in the field, but Fitzpatrick can wield a nasty club. He’s not a major champion or among the top-10 players in the OWGR, criteria used to get invited to this exclusive event, but he’s in the field and that’s what matters. Getting a sponsor exemption as the last man in won’t deter Fitz, who showed he has game with a co-runner-up finish at the European Tour’s World Tour Championship a few weeks ago. He also posted his seventh international victory a few months back taking the Andalucia Masters. He debuts at Albany, but Fitz is in good form and has some value at his current price.
Brooks Koepka +1800
While most players were wolfing down turkey over Thanksgiving, Koepka was on the course for his much anticipated showdown with Bryson DeChambeau in the Match V. And it wasn’t close. Koepka won the charity event not losing a hole to his arch nemesis giving him a boost of confidence. And Brooks certainly needs it after struggling to a pair of MCs to finish the fall part of his schedule.
Rory McIlroy +725
McIlroy makes his tournament debut, but the Albany layout should have a familiar feel to it. Always a beast on links courses this should be right up his alley. And you know Rory is seething after his close at the DP World Tour Championship where he fell to T6 after holding the 54-hole lead. That came after his win at the CJ CUP, so McIlroy enters on a run of good form and he’s always enjoyed success in limited field tournaments with no cut line. I guess that’s why he’s the second favorite on the odds board.
Justin Rose +2500
Rose offers plenty of value at his price and I just couldn’t avoid backing him. As long as Albany has hosted this has been a home game for him and the local knowledge has paid off in the past three editions. His last three starts here have resulted in top-5 finishes with a pair of T5s sandwiched around a solo third in 2018. I was a bit surprised to see Rose offered at this price since he’s been playing well of late with three finishes among the top-12 in his previous five worldwide starts.
Course: Albany Golf Club – 7,309-yards, Par-72
Playing host for a sixth straight time, the Albany Golf Club measures over 7,300 yards and is a relatively long par 72, but by no means is it a difficult play for some of the best in the world. Scoring on the par-5 holes is a must to be in contention and there are five of them, which allows players plenty of opportunities. And the ones that take advantage have the upper hand. We’ve had some outrageous scores during the run at Albany with the previous five winners finishing at 18-under or better. Bubba Watson captured the hardware in 2015 with a record 25-under showing. The course has a links feel to it, but it is more of a resort venue with generous fairways and few hazards. High coastal winds are always a factor and the elements will be more of an issue for the field than the course itself.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel and NBC
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