United States Presidents Cup captain — and likely Presidents Cup competitor — Tiger Woods announced on Tuesday a schedule change to his season-ending Hero World Challenge that was made in order to accommodate those in the limited-field event who would be making the trip to Australia for the biennial event.
The PGA Tour’s truncated schedule has offered many adjustments to the big events, but the team events may be the largest beneficiary in the end. Instead of only a few days off between the FedEx Cup Playoffs and the Ryder Cup in 2018, there will be three month’s time between the Tour Championship and The Presidents Cup this year at Royal Melbourne in Australia.
With the Team USA vs. Team International matches slated for Dec. 12-15, Woods’ Hero World Challenge will make a slight adjustment to its normal schedule, which Woods and his tournament hosting arm announced on Tuesday.
Excited to have a Saturday finish at the Hero World Challenge this year so we accommodate those also traveling to the Presidents Cup. The event has grown in many ways since moving to Albany, and this year’s unique schedule allows us to continue trying new things. https://t.co/byWK7S57Le
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) April 23, 2019
The tournament will begin on Wednesday, December 4th and conclude on Saturday, December 7th in an effort to give players an extra day of acclimation to the time change Down Under.
“I am looking forward to hosting the 2019 Hero World Challenge at Albany and beginning two weeks of international competition,” Woods said in a statement. “Since moving the tournament to Albany in 2015, the event has grown in many ways and this year’s unique schedule allows us to continue trying new things during tournament week.”
“For over two decades, the world’s top players have supported the Hero World Challenge and provided the tournament with the best field in golf,” tournament director Mike Antolini added. “We’re excited to support Tiger and the players with a non-traditional schedule this year and our entire team is committed to providing another world-class experience for everyone who joins us at Albany this December.”
The Hero World Challenge features a limited field of less than 20 golfers playing four stroke-play rounds at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas. The tournament also features a $3.5 million purse, $1 million of which goes to the first place finisher. World ranking points are also handed out.
With three months off between the Tour Championship and The Presidents Cup, the Hero World Challenge will be a nice return to competitive golf for many of those competing at Royal Melbourne. As opposed to the fatigue that plagued many on the U.S. side at last year’s Ryder Cup, a back-to-back event schedule will be a welcomed change from years past.
