Hero World Challenge 2022 Betting Preview
30 November 2022
The last 72-hole PGA-aligned tournament of the calendar year is this weekend at the Albany Golf Course in the Bahamas. The Hero World Challenge is hosted by Tiger Woods, who at first was going to play in this event but has since withdrawn due to an injured foot.
This is a smaller field event with just 20 golfers teeing off for the $1 million prize. Viktor Hovland claimed that title last season and returns in 2022 to try and go back-to-back. Jordan Spieth (2014) and Jon Rahm (2018) are other past winners playing this weekend, although Spieth's victory came at the Isleworth Golf and Country Club in Florida.
Here is who the Index favors this weekend!
Tony Finau (-29.637)
There were few golfers - besides Rory McIlroy - who got hotter down the 2021/22 stretch than Tony Finau, who won on back-to-back weeks at the 3M Open and Rocket Mortgage Classic. Finau also had a fifth-place finish at the FedEx St. Jude Championship and a top 10 at the TOUR Championship - not a bad last five events of the season.
Finau already has a win on the 2022/23 TOUR Schedule, taking home the Houston Open on November 13th. Finau was the favorite to go back-to-back again at the RSM Classic, but he had to withdraw due to injury. A couple of weeks of rest should have Finau back in top form in the Bahamas.
Tom Kim (-32.209)
Much like Tony Finau, Tom Kim also had a win on the Fall leg of the TOUR, claiming the Shriners Children's Open. With the win at the Shriners, Kim became the first player since Tiger Woods to claim two victories prior to their 21st birthday, so it would be kind of fitting if Kim picks up another victory at an event Woods is hosting.
Jon Rahm (-32.845)
Sportsbooks have Jon Rahm as the favorite this weekend, trying to join Woods and Graeme McDowell as the only multiple-time winners of the Hero World Challenge. Rahm also went back-to-back at this event, following his 2018 win with a runner-up to Henrik Stenson in 2019.
This is a solid field this weekend, but Rahm finished fourth at the CJ Cup, which was the most talented event of the Fall Tour, and he is also coming off a victory in the DP World Tour Championship a couple of weeks ago.
Max Homa (-33.545)
Max Homa could make some noise here, as he's got a win this Fall at the Fortinet Championship and finished in the top 25 at all three events he played. Homa has never played at Albany, which does put him behind others in the field, such as Rahm, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, and Hovland, who have all played in this event multiple times.
Homa can go stroke-for-stroke with those types of players in any tournament, so a lack of course familiarity might be what does him in - but that's also why you get the longer odds.
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All Media on this page by Associated Press.
