Hero World Problem area launched. However will Tiger Woods play?

For the third straight 12 months, Tiger Woods may be a game-time resolution for his Hero World Problem.

The star-studded area for Woods’ Bahamas occasion was launched on Wednesday, with 17 of 20 spots stuffed by a number of the greatest names in golf.

The dedicated gamers are all presently ranked within the prime 26 within the Official World Golf Rating, and the record consists of top-15 ranked gamers in World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark, Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Cantlay, Keegan Bradley, Sahith Theegala and Russell Henley.

Rounding out the sector is Robert MacIntyre, Sam Burns, Brian Harman, Sungjae Im, Tony Finau, Tom Kim, Aaron Rai, Billy Horschel and Matthieu Pavon.

Notably, there are three “TBA event exemption” spots nonetheless to be stuffed, and lately a type of has been used for the 15-time major-winning host.

Two years in the past, Woods stored that spot open in hopes he would have the ability to play following his February 2021 automotive accident (Woods dedicated to play, however plantar fasciitis finally led to his withdrawal on event week). Final 12 months, Woods was a late addition to the sector coming off a subtalar fusion surgical procedure to stabilize an ankle injured within the aforementioned crash (he completed 18th out of 20).

The identical last-minute resolution may be made this 12 months following Woods’ newest process. On Sept. 13, Woods’ staff issued an announcement that he underwent profitable “microdecompression surgical procedure of the lumbar backbone for nerve impingement within the decrease again.”

“The surgical procedure went easily, and I’m hopeful this can assist alleviate the again spasms and ache I used to be experiencing all through a lot of the 2024 season,” Woods mentioned within the assertion. “I stay up for tackling this rehab and getting ready myself to get again to regular life actions, together with golf.”

Wednesday’s press launch didn’t present an replace on Woods’ well being, and he’s made no earlier point out concerning when he’s focusing on to return. (Woods’ camp has not instantly responded to GOLF.com’s request for remark.)

Whereas the exact particulars of Woods’ surgical procedure are unclear, this sort of surgical procedure is much less invasive than a number of the different procedures he’s had. Typical restoration time to renew full-time actions will be as early as seven weeks or maybe as late as 12. The Hero is three months after the surgical procedure.

Moreover the Hero, which is Dec. 5-8 at Albany Resort within the Bahamas, Woods has additionally performed the PNC Championship together with his son, Charlie, the previous 4 years in the course of December.

Woods competed in 5 tournaments in 2024, withdrawing from the Genesis Invitational (the place he’s additionally the event host) on account of sickness and lacking the minimize in three of 4 majors. He made the minimize on the Masters however shot 82-77 over the weekend to end sixtieth.

Josh Berhow

Golf.com Editor

As GOLF.com’s managing editor, Berhow handles the day-to-day and long-term planning of one of many sport’s most-read information and repair web sites. He spends most of his days writing, enhancing, planning and questioning if he’ll ever break 80. Earlier than becoming a member of GOLF.com in 2015, he labored at newspapers in Minnesota and Iowa. A graduate of Minnesota State College in Mankato, Minn., he resides within the Twin Cities together with his spouse and two youngsters. You may attain him at joshua_berhow@golf.com.