Hero World Challenge field released. But will Tiger Woods play?

For the third time in a row, Tiger Woods could be the deciding factor in his Hero World Challenge.

The star-studded field for Woods’ Bahamas event was released on Wednesday, with 17 of 20 spots filled by some of the biggest names in golf.

The committed players are all currently ranked in the top 26 of the Official World Golf Ranking, and the list includes top 15 players World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark, Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Cantlay, Keegan Bradley, Sahith Theegala and Russell Henley.

Rounding out the field are Robert MacIntyre, Sam Burns, Brian Harman, Sungjae Im, Tony Finau, Tom Kim, Aaron Rai, Billy Horschel and Matthieu Pavon.

Notably, there are three TBA Tournament Exemption spots left to fill, and in recent years one of those has been awarded to the 15-time major-winning host.

Two years ago, Woods held onto this spot in hopes that he would be able to play after his car accident in February 2021 (Woods committed to playing, but plantar fasciitis ultimately led to his withdrawal during tournament week). Last year, Woods entered the field late after undergoing subtalar fusion surgery to stabilize an ankle injured in the aforementioned accident (he finished 18th out of 20).

The same last-minute decision could be made this year after Woods’ recent trial. On September 13, Woods’ team released a statement saying he had successfully undergone “lumbar microdecompression surgery for nerve impairment in the lower back.”

“The surgery went smoothly and I hope this will help relieve the back spasms and pain I experienced throughout most of the 2024 season,” Woods said in the statement. “I look forward to embarking on this rehab and preparing to return to normal life activities, including golf.”

There was no update on Woods’ health in Wednesday’s press release, nor has he previously mentioned when he plans to return. (Woods’ camp did not immediately respond to GOLF.com’s request for comment.)

Although the exact details of Woods’ surgery are unclear, this type of surgery is less invasive than some of the other procedures he has undergone. The typical recovery time to return to full-time activities can be as short as seven weeks or as little as twelve weeks. The hero is three months post-surgery.

In addition to the Hero, which runs December 5-8 at the Albany Resort in the Bahamas, Woods has also played the PNC Championship with his son Charlie in mid-December for the past four years.

Woods played in five tournaments in 2024, withdrew from the Genesis Invitational (where he also hosts the tournament) due to illness and missed the cut in three of four majors. He made it to the Masters, but shot 82-77 over the weekend to finish in 60th place.

Josh Berhow

Golf.com Publisher

As Editor-in-Chief of GOLF.com, Berhow oversees the day-to-day and long-term planning of one of the sport’s most widely read news and service websites. He spends most of his days writing, editing, planning, and wondering if he’ll ever make it past 80. Before joining GOLF.com in 2015, he worked at newspapers in Minnesota and Iowa. A graduate of Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minnesota, he lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and two children. You can reach him at joshua_berhow@golf.com.