How about a collection of 18 of the finest golfers in the world competing against each other for $3.5 million in prize money? That’s what we have this week at the Hero World Challenge when the invitation-only field tees it up at the Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas. The elite field includes world No. 1 Justin Rose, four of the top five and 16 of the top 28 ranked players according to OWGR.
Rose is the betting favorite at +575 according to odds released by BookMaker.eu with defending champion Rickie Fowler close behind at +685. Tournament host Tiger Woods lost out on $9 million to Phil Mickelson in The Match over the Thanksgiving Holiday, so he might be looking to replenish the coffers, though he doesn’t need the cash. Still, from a competitive standpoint, Tiger began his comeback here last year when he didn’t even rank among the top 1,000 golfers in the world. Tiger is the fourth favorite at +850.
Odds to Win 2018 Hero World Challenge at BookMaker.eu
Justin Rose +575
Rickie Fowler +685
Dustin Johnson +750
Tiger Woods +850
Justin Thomas +850
Bryson DeChambeau +1050
Jon Rahm +1125
Tony Finau +1475
Xander Schauffele +1875
Patrick Reed +1950
Jason Day +1950
Patrick Cantlay +2555
Hideki Matsuyama +2555
Henrik Stenson +2850
Bubba Watson +3000
Gary Woodland +3050
Alex Noren +3455
Keegan Bradley +4500
Odds Analysis
Tiger Woods +850
The sentimental pick here since his comeback last year started at Albany. He’s won the event five times during his career, but never in the Bahamas. When he teed off at Albany 12 months ago, Woods wasn’t even among the top 1,000 players. He finished his meteoric ascent up the rankings at No. 13 after winning the Tour Championship. Tiger had a warm up round last week in The Match with Mickelson, so he should be in good shape to compete, but he did say afterwards that he’s still ramping up after a short offseason. Also his driving accuracy wasn’t favorable last season and that could be troublesome on this layout. There are better value picks than Tiger.
Rickie Fowler +685
It’s hard to overlook the defending champ just by what he did in the final round 12 months ago. Starting seven shots off the lead, Fowler carded 11 birdies and played bogey-free for a course record 61. He ended up winning by an astounding four shots. That was his last victory anywhere, so recent form is something to consider, but he’s a regular threat whenever he tees it up. Don’t ignore course form, either. In career 12 rounds at Albany, Fowler is averaging 67.67 and has two third-place finishes along with his title.
Bryson DeChambeau +1050
He’s a first-timer at Albany, but that shouldn’t matter on what’s basically a resort course. And he lists Albany as a club affiliation, so he should be very comfortable with his surroundings. He hasn’t competed since the Shriners nearly a month ago, but recent form is outstanding. He won in Vegas and with titles at the Dell Technologies Championship and the Northern Trust, he has three wins in his last five starts. The odds are just good enough to take a chance that the run of good luck continues.
Tony Finau +1475
If you’re looking for a good payday Finau is your guy. He’s been close to a breakthrough and has scored low in all three events this season with 10 of his 12 rounds below 70. He placed second at the WGC-HSBC Championships last month at -14 and scored a 65 and 67 in the middle rounds of the Mayakoba Golf Classic for a T16. He ranks among the top-10 in scoring average and driving distance, two areas that are sure to help bring the score down at Albany.
Course: Albany Golf Club – 7,302-yards, Par-72
At over 7,300 yards, the layout 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 total, which gives 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 Fowler topping the field last year and Hideki Matsuyama in 2016 both at -18. Bubba Watson captured the hardware in 2015 with a 25-under showing. The course 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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