Hero World Challenge Golf Tips
The curtain is soon to come down on 2025 and as we enter the final month, there is an end-of-term feel to the PGA Tour, which hosts its penultimate event of the year, the Hero World Challenge, in the Bahamas this week.
Twenty of the bigger names on the tour will head to Albany Golf Club, where world number one Scottie Scheffler will hope to win the title for the third successive year.
An open layout with little rough provides the opportunity for players to be aggressive, so it is a good chance for them to open their shoulders and go for it.
With just the mixed-gender Grant Thornton Invitational to come, the whole field will be hungry to end 2025 on a high before eyeing the big prizes in the New Year.
Tip 1 – Scottie Scheffler to win the Hero World Challenge @ 11/8
World number one Scheffler is undoubtedly the man to beat, even though he has not been seen in competitive action since he was a member of the losing USA Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black at the end of September.
Scheffler has form figures of 2-2-1-1 at this tournament and anyone who is concerned that he may be rusty following his time away from the course will be pointed to the fact he spent even longer resting before last year’s tournament and still emerged from Albany with a six-shot victory.
This is just the sort of track upon which one would expect the Texan to excel. There is limited rough so it benefits those who play aggressively and there is no better player in the world when it comes to grabbing a course by the throat.
It is three months since the Open champion was last in tournament action, but he won the Procore Championship on that occasion having given the field a headstart following an indifferent opening 70.
History suggests two things - Scheffler will be primed for action after his layoff and he’ll probably win.
Tip 2 – Robert MacIntyre to win the Hero World Challenge @ 12/1
Of the 19 players who will be looking to prevent Scheffler from claiming a hat-trick, Robert MacIntyre could give the world number one his strongest challenge.
While the world’s top player has had his feet up, MacIntyre has had a strong autumn, winning the Alfred Dunhill Links and then posting two top-10 finishes at the Abu Dhabi Championship and the DP World Tour Championship, so he has enough good recent form to mount a big challenge.
MacIntyre should be able to draw upon the experience he earned when he was seventh in this tournament last season, and while he was 14 shots behind the winner after four rounds, we should anticipate a much better showing from the Scot this time.
Tip 3 – Justin Rose to win the Hero World Challenge @ 20/1
If we dig a little further down the list, Justin Rose is available at a price that should raise a few eyebrows.
The Englishman was superb in winning the FedEx St Jude at the end of August and he heads into this tournament having finished 14th at the DP World Tour Championship in his most recent outing.
His Albany record also has to be respected as he has finished in the top five in three of his last five visits - third place in 2019 was his best effort - and he has enough about him to be a factor in this week’s shake-up.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation
