The preliminary field for the 2024 Hero World Challenge has been released, and there is no spot for 15-time Major champion and event host, Tiger Woods... yet.
All but three of the 20-man field has been locked in ahead of December's event in The Bahamas, leaving the door ajar for what is becoming Woods' regular comeback appearance.
The 48-year-old competed in one of the exemption spots last year and finished 18th on level par, ahead of Wyndham Clark and Will Zalatoris, seven months after ankle surgery following a 2021 car crash in Los Angeles.
Since then, Woods played five times in 2024 but only completed all four rounds once - that was at The Masters when he slipped down the leaderboard over the weekend to end 60th.
At the Genesis Invitational a couple of months prior, Woods withdrew early into round two citing flu-like symptoms. He then went on to miss the cut at all three Majors after Augusta.
Fast forward to September 2024 and the 82-time PGA Tour winner underwent his sixth back surgery, going on to declare it had been successful and that he was looking forward to returning to the course at some point, although he did not clarify when that might be.
In a statement on his social media channels, Woods said: “The surgery went smoothly, and I’m hopeful this will help alleviate the back spasms and pain I was experiencing throughout most of the 2024 season. I look forward to tackling this rehab and preparing myself to get back to normal life activities, including golf.”
The Hero World Challenge host will almost certainly be in Albany just before Christmas anyway, given his non-playing duties, but it remains to be seen whether he will tee it up against the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Ludvig Aberg - two of the five top-10 golfers currently in the exclusive tournament.
Three of the world's top-five will not be on display in December, though, with Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy, and Collin Morikawa absent as it stands. The world no.2 and 3 (Schauffele and McIlroy) are not playing for the second year in a row.
During this year's competition, six golfers are set to make their debuts - including Robert MacIntyre, Aaron Rai, and Matthieu Pavon - as Albany Golf Club hosts for the ninth successive year between December 5-8.
Each player will compete for the lion's share of a $5 million prize purse, an increase of $500,000 on 2023 when Scheffler walked away with $1 million.
Hero World Challenge 2024 Full Field
- Scottie Scheffler (World No.1)
- Ludvig Aberg (5)*
- Wyndham Clark (6)
- Hideki Matsuyama (7)
- Patrick Cantlay (9)
- Sahith Theegala (12)*
- Keegan Bradley (13)
- Russell Henley (15)*
- Robert MacIntyre (16)*
- Sam Burns (17)
- Brian Harman (19)
- Sungjae Im (20)
- Tony Finau (21)
- Tom Kim (23)
- Aaron Rai (24)*
- Billy Horschel (25)
- Matthieu Pavon (26)*
- TBC
- TBC
- TBC
* denotes HWC debutant
