2023 Hero World Challenge: PGA Tour Golf Betting Odds
Viktor Hovland is favoured on the golf odds.
While world golf ranking points can be earned this week, the Hero World Challenge otherwise is not an official event that dates in some form to 2000. It’s just a 20-player field so no cut. Tiger is the tournament host as well and will tee it up for the first time since his early withdrawal from The Masters in April. Woods underwent ankle surgery in May after enduring “constant” pain in his right leg/ankle across his three rounds at Augusta National. When the initial field for the Hero World Challenge was released, one spot was held for “TBD tournament exemption.” That was Tiger.
“My ankle is fine,” Woods said recently. “Where they fused my ankle, I have absolutely zero issue whatsoever. That pain is completely gone. It’s the other areas that have been compensated for.”
Keep in mind that Woods did the same thing last year in holding a spot for himself in the elite 20-man field and committed to play before withdrawing Monday of tournament week because of plantar fasciitis. Woods has won the tournament five times but not since it has been held at Albany in Nassau. Two other players, Lucas Glover and Justin Rose, were added to the field as well, while Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele were quietly dropped from the commit list. Schauffele has been a regular in the tournament in recent years. Cantlay and Schauffele reportedly had some sort of dispute on Team USA during this year’s Ryder Cup.
Albany Golf Course, a par 72 at about 7,450 yards and designed by World Golf Hall of Famer Ernie Els, hosts for the eighth straight year. It’s a links-style layout with strategic water hazards and windswept dunes. It has taken at least 16-under 272 to win here ever year.
FedExCup champion Hovland — who’s looking for a three-peat — along with 13 players ranked in the Top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings are in the field. Last year, the Swede Hovland carried a five-shot lead into the back-nine on Sunday and held on to finish at 16-under 272 and two shots up on American Scottie Scheffler, who was runner-up for the second year in a row. He lost by one to Hovland in 2021. Both players bogeyed the 18th hole last year, with Hovland rolling in a 20-foot putt after hitting his second in the hazard. Scheffler had to birdie to force a playoff but hit his approach into a bunker.
Since the tournament has been held at Albany Golf Course, there has yet to be a playoff. Hovland is the only player to win twice there.
Hero World Challenge Golf Odds
Bet on Golf at Sports Interaction
Two-time defending champion Viktor Hovland is the +400 favourite and a victory would cap a career year for the Swede with three wins already, including the Tour Championship. In his past eight rounds here, he’s averaging a score of 67.75. American Scottie Scheffler, the runner-up to Hovland the past two years, is +450.
Collin Morikawa and Max Homa are each +750 and Justin Thomas +1400. Morikawa has been Top 6 here the past two years, while Homa has competed twice since the Tour Championship, finishing T7 at the Fortinet Championship and winning at Sun City in South Africa. Homa was 17th here last year in his debut. Thomas has been fifth three years in a row. Tiger Woods is a +5000 long shot.
No Canadian has won here, none were invited in 2022 and none this year.
Hero World Challenge Golf Predictions
Viktor Hovland is clearly a horse for the course, but it’s too hard to threepeat. We’ll go with Cameron Young at +2000. He was third here last year. Young has played a few times in the Fall Series so shouldn’t be too rusty.