We are in the exhibition season in the world of professional golf, but even though the 2019 Hero World Challenge will not yield any FedExCup points, it will provide a $1 million check to the winner. Eighteen of the best pro golfers in the world will play at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas, with the last round to come on Saturday on NBC — in prime time. Tiger Woods is not only the tournament host but one of the 18 competitors. We have the golf odds for each of the players in the 2019 Hero World Challenge as well as suggestions for your wagering cards.
2019 Hero World Challenge Odds, Preview & Predictions
- When: 1 – Dec. 7
- Where: New Providence, Bahamas
- TV: Golf Channel
- Live Stream: Golf.tv
- Radio: PGA Tour Radio
Player Odds to Win the 2019 Hero World Challenge
- John Rahm +400
- Justin Thomas +700
- Patrick Cantlay, Tiger Woods +800
- Xander Schauffele +900
- Webb Simpson +1200
- Rickie Fowler +1400
- Justin Rose +1600
- Bryson DeChambeau, Gary Woodland, Patrick Reed +1800
- Tony Finau +2000
- Jordan Spieth +2200
- Henrik Stenson, Mark Kuchar +2800
- Bubba Watson, Kevin Kisner +4000
- Chez Reavie +6600
The Favorites
Xander Schauffele does particularly well in events with small fields. One reason is that his game is so complete, as he does every phase of the game well. His ranking in stats off the tee and in par 5 scoring is high, and both of those skills are necessary at Albany Golf Club. His par 5 scoring average leads this field over his last three tournaments, as does his birdie or better percentage over that same stretch. Last year, he came in eighth place in his Hero World Challenge debut. In similar no-cut events, he has a win and a runner-up in World Golf Championship events, as well as the Sentry Tournament of Champions and the TOUR Champions. Last month, he came in second at the WGC-HSBC, similar to how John Rahm tied for fourth at the 2018 DP World Tour Championship and then swooped in to win the Hero World Challenge.
Rickie Fowler has similar metrics to those of Schauffele, although he ranks slightly behind him in those areas. He is tops in this field in strokes gained overall at the Hero World Championship since 2015. This is not one of those tournaments where course history is as important as some others, though, as last year’s winner (Rahm) and runner-up (Tony Finau) had never played at the course before. Fowler is fifth worst in this field in strokes gained: ball striking, and 14th in birdie or better in this field over his last six tournaments, so there is a reason why he offers the value that he does.
Tiger Woods has won this event five different times — but he has never won it at Albany Golf Club, and he has not won it at all since 2011. He did win the Zozo Championship in Japan back in October, but he has been away from tournament play since then. In 2018, he came in second to last, but his world ranking has climbed to #7 in the year since then, making him the fourth-highest ranked player in the world in this field.
Webb Simpson ranks second in putting in this field behind Jordan Spieth. Simpson finished all alone in the runner-up position at the RSM Classic, and he is ranked #11 in the world. Simpson makes his course debut at Albany this year, but as we have seen, you don’t have to have a history here to win the whole thing.
Jordan Spieth offers a ton of value for the field’s top putter and a player who was stacking up major wins not too long ago. However, he seems to have lost his way as far as putting together a complete tournament performance goes, and it is hard to imagine him finding his game in a small field against so many elite competitors. We are rooting for Spieth to find his way back to the top of the pro golf world, but we are not biting on that huge moneyline for him this weekend.
