For years, Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas has been synonymous with the Hero World Challenge, the PGA Tour’s unofficial season finale. This year as well, from December 5 to 8, the world’s top golfers will gather once again for a week of elite competition. But this isn’t like any other typical PGA Tour event. It’s got a little more flair, a few twists, and some big-time stakes—without quite the usual grind.

Let’s start with the elephant in the room: Tiger Woods. While fans were eager to see him back on the course, Woods, who hasn’t competed since The Open in July, will be absent from the field here too. But don’t worry, he’s still going to be very much involved. He’s the tournament’s host after all. So you can still find him at the event.

Now coming back to the tournament itself, only 20 players will be in the field, all ranked within the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking. With such an exclusive lineup, you can definitely expect a few surprises along the way. Moreover, there’s no cut, meaning every player competes across all four rounds. Why? It’s simple: when you start with just 20 players, a cut would be, well, pointless.

The format sticks to a familiar 72-hole stroke play structure. Players are paired in twosomes for the first two rounds and tee off in the same window from the first tee. By the third and fourth rounds, the pairings are reshuffled based on players’ total scores, with those at the top teeing off first and the lowest scores battling it out in the final group. Now what if there’s a tie?

Well, then things get real. The Hero World Challenge raises the stakes even higher with a sudden-death playoff on the 18th hole. Players go shot-for-shot until one of them claims the victory.

As for the reward, the players compete for a $5 million purse, with $1 million going to the winner. Not a bad way to close out the year, huh? Even though there’s no FedEx Cup points at stake since it’s an unofficial tournament. Now that you know all about the event, only the big question remains: who among golf’s finest will take home the trophy?

Big names to look forward to at the 2024 Hero World Challenge?

Is it really a competition if the players aren’t among the best? At the Hero World Challenge, that’s definitely not a concern. The excitement builds right up to the last putt. And to make things even more exciting, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler returns to defend his title. 7 titles this year for the American. So you already know the event is going to be intense. But of course, Scheffler isn’t the only star to watch.

This field is the perfect mix of seasoned pros and rising stars. Take Justin Thomas and Jason Day, for example. Thomas is eager to break his winless streak, while Day is still showing us why he was once the top-ranked player in the world. And when you add in the 2023 major champs Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman, you know the race to the top is only getting tougher.

But surprisingly, it’s not just about the veterans this year. Eight players are making their Hero debuts, including rising stars like Ludvig Åberg and Sahith Theegala. After missing out on defending his title at the 2024 RSM Classic, Åberg is hungry for his second win. Theegala, fresh off his Presidents Cup success, plays with a flair that’s worth a watch.

And let’s not forget the international talent. South Korea’s Sungjae Im and Tom Kim bring their usual precision and consistency, while Australia’s Jason Day remains a strong contender. Europe’s Robert MacIntyre and Matthieu Pavon also bring clutch shots under pressure.

Now that’s a stacked field. So who are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments!