Tiger Woods absent from initial 17-player Hero World Challenge field

Tiger Woods is absent from the initial 17-player field for the Dec. 3–6 Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, though three exemption spots remain and could leave him a path into the tournament. Woods, the event’s host, has not competed in an official event since the 2024 British Open and has not confirmed when he will return; he recently accepted a five-year driver’s-license suspension after reaching a deal with prosecutors in his impaired-driving case. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Hideki Matsuyama are among the committed players, with seven of the world’s top 10 included in the initial field. The remaining spots will be announced later.