Hero World Challenge

Hero World Challenge
Tournament information
Location The Bahamas
Established 1999
Course(s) Albany, New Providence (2015)
Isleworth Golf & Country Club (2014)
Sherwood Country Club (2000–13)
Greyhawk Golf Club (1999)
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Format Stroke play
Prize fund $3,500,000
Month played December
Tournament record score
Aggregate 262 Jordan Spieth (2014)
To par −26 Jordan Spieth (2014)
Current champion
Japan Hideki Matsuyama
Albany
Location in the Bahamas

The Hero World Challenge is a golf tournament hosted by Tiger Woods, which takes place each December. It features a small number (currently 18) of top-ranked golf pros. The tournament is a benefit for the Tiger Woods Foundation.

Format

Initially, the tournament had a 16-man field composed of the defending champion, the top 11 available players from the Official World Golf Ranking, and 4 sponsors exemptions chosen by the Tiger Woods Foundation. In 2008, the field was increased to 18 players, consisting of the most recent winners of the four major PGA tournaments, the top 11 available players from the Official World Golf Ranking, the defending champion, and 2 special exemption players selected by the Foundation.[1]

Prize money won by the players is not included in money rankings on any of the world's professional golf tours, but the tournament is recognized as an unofficial money event by the PGA Tour. Since 2009, the event offers Official World Golf Ranking points.[2]

In 2007 the total prize fund was $5.75 million, similar to many official PGA Tour events, which usually have fields of about 150 players. In 2014, the first prize is $1 million, and the total purse is $3.5 million.[3] Woods usually donates his prize money to his foundation.

History

In 1999, the tournament's first year, it was played at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. From 2000 to 2013, the event took place at Sherwood Country Club, a course designed by Jack Nicklaus, in Thousand Oaks, California.

In 2008, Woods did not compete due to knee surgery following his 2008 U.S. Open victory, even though he was the two-time defending champion. He did not play in 2009 due to time spent away from golf related to personal matters. Woods returned to the event in 2010.[4]

In 2011, Woods won the tournament with a score of −10, defeating Zach Johnson by one shot. Woods made birdie on the final two holes to win; it was his first win in over two years, since the 2009 Australian Masters.

It was called the Chevron World Challenge from 2008 through 2011. It previously went by the names Williams World Challenge and Target World Challenge. In 2012, new sponsor Northwestern Mutual was the presenting sponsor instead of a title sponsor.[5] They became the title sponsor in 2013.[6] In 2014, Hero MotoCorp became the title sponsor.[7]

Beginning in 2015, the event will be played at the Albany development in the Bahamas, for at least three years.[8]

Television

The first World Challenge was televised by the USA Network and NBC Sports. It was then covered by USA and ABC Sports from 2000–2006. It has been televised by Golf Channel and a returning NBC since 2007.

Winners

Year Winner Country Score Margin
of victory
Runner-up Winner's
share ($)
Hero World Challenge
2016 Hideki Matsuyama  Japan 270 (−18) 2 strokes Sweden Henrik Stenson 1,000,000
2015 Bubba Watson  United States 263 (−25) 3 strokes United States Patrick Reed 1,000,000
2014 Jordan Spieth  United States 262 (−26) 10 strokes Sweden Henrik Stenson 1,000,000
Northwestern Mutual World Challenge
2013 Zach Johnson  United States 275 (−13) Playoff United States Tiger Woods 1,000,000
World Challenge presented by Northwestern Mutual
2012 Graeme McDowell (2)  Northern Ireland 271 (−17) 3 strokes United States Keegan Bradley 1,000,000
Chevron World Challenge
2011 Tiger Woods (5)  United States 278 (−10) 1 stroke United States Zach Johnson 1,200,000
2010 Graeme McDowell  Northern Ireland 272 (−16) Playoff United States Tiger Woods 1,200,000
Chevron World Challenge presented by Bank of America
2009 Jim Furyk  United States 275 (−13) 1 stroke Northern Ireland Graeme McDowell 1,350,000
2008 Vijay Singh  Fiji 277 (−11) 1 stroke United States Steve Stricker 1,350,000
Target World Challenge presented by Countrywide
2007 Tiger Woods (4)  United States 266 (−22) 7 strokes United States Zach Johnson 1,350,000
2006 Tiger Woods (3)  United States 272 (−16) 4 strokes Australia Geoff Ogilvy 1,350,000
2005 Luke Donald  England 272 (−16) 2 strokes Northern Ireland Darren Clarke 1,300,000
2004 Tiger Woods (2)  United States 268 (−16) 2 strokes Republic of Ireland Pádraig Harrington 1,250,000
Target World Challenge presented by Williams
2003 Davis Love III (2)  United States 277 (−11) 2 strokes United States Tiger Woods 1,200,000
2002 Pádraig Harrington  Ireland 268 (−20) 2 strokes United States Tiger Woods 1,000,000
Williams World Challenge
2001 Tiger Woods  United States 273 (−15) 3 strokes Fiji Vijay Singh 1,000,000
2000 Davis Love III  United States 266 (−22) 2 strokes United States Tiger Woods 1,000,000
1999 Tom Lehman  United States 267 (−13) 3 strokes United States David Duval 1,000,000

References

  1. "Chevron World Challenge - Furyk Keeps Lead, Couples Three Back". Golf Digest. Associated Press. December 19, 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  2. "Tiger Woods, in most events in 7 years, to figure out how much is too much". Fox News. Associated Press. October 17, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  3. "Tiger returns to golf for 2014 Hero World Challenge". TigerWoods.com. October 14, 2014. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
  4. "Tiger Woods Tees It Up at the 2011 Chevron World Challenge on Thursday". The Golf Dream. November 28, 2011.
  5. Harig, Bob (October 17, 2012). "Tiger Woods' event star-studded". ESPN. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  6. Harig, Bob (August 14, 2013). "Title sponsor steps up for Tiger event". ESPN. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
  7. "Hero MotoCorp clinches the title sponsorship of the PGA Tour's golfing event". The Economic Times. September 15, 2014.
  8. Ballengee, Ryan (December 12, 2014). "Is Tiger Woods on his way to being worth $2 billion?". Devil Ball Golf - Yahoo Sports. Retrieved December 12, 2014.

External links

Coordinates: 25°00′43″N 77°30′14″W / 25.012°N 77.504°W / 25.012; -77.504

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