The Hero World Challenge field has been released. But will Tiger Woods play?

For the third year in a row, Tiger Woods could be a game decider for his Hero World Challenge.

The star-studded field for Woods’ event in the Bahamas debuted Wednesday, with 17 of the 20 spots filled by some of golf’s biggest names.

All of the committed players are currently ranked in the top 26 of the Official World Golf Ranking, and the list includes the top 15 ranked players in World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark, Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Cantlay, Keegan Bradley, Sahith Theegala and Russell Henley.

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

Notably, there are still three “tournament exemption TBA” spots left to fill, and in recent years one of them has been used for the 15-time winning host.

Two years ago, Woods held this spot open in hopes that he would be able to play after his car accident in February 2021 (Woods committed to playing, but plantar fasciitis ultimately led to his withdrawal the week of the tournament) . Last year, Woods was a late addition to the field after subtalar fusion surgery to stabilize an ankle injured in the aforementioned crash (he finished 18th out of 20).

The same last-minute decision could be made this year after Woods’ latest procedure. On September 13, Woods’ team released a statement in which he underwent “microdecompression surgery of the lumbar spine to affect the nerves in his lower back.”

“The surgery went smoothly and I hope this will help relieve the back spasms and pain I was experiencing for most of the 2024 season,” Woods said in the statement. “I look forward to tackling this rehabilitation and getting ready to return to the normal activities of life, including golf.”

Wednesday’s press release did not provide an update on Woods’ health, and he has made no prior mention of when he wants to return. (Woods’ Camp did not immediately respond to GOLF.com’s request for comment.)

While the precise details of Woods’ surgery are unclear, this type of surgery is less invasive than some of the other procedures he’s had. The typical recovery time to resume full-time activities can be as early as seven weeks or perhaps as late as 12. The hero is three months after surgery.

In addition to the Hero, which is Dec. 5-8 at Albany Resort in the Bahamas, Woods has also played the PNC Championship with his son, Charlie, the past four years in mid-December.

Woods competed in five tournaments in 2024, withdrawing from the Genesis Invitational (where he also hosts the tournament) due to illness and missing the cut in three of four majors. He made the cut at the Masters but shot 82-77 over the weekend to finish 60th.

Josh Berhow

Editor of Golf.com

As managing editor of GOLF.com, Berhow is responsible for the day-to-day and long-term planning of one of the most widely read news and services websites in the sport. He spends most of his days writing, editing, planning and wondering if he’ll ever make it to 80. Before joining GOLF.com in 2015, he worked at newspapers in Minnesota and Iowa. A graduate of Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minnesota, he resides in the Twin Cities with his wife and two children. You can contact him at [email protected].