ALBANY, Bahamas – The initial player field for the 2026 Hero World Challenge was announced today. Hosted by Tiger Woods, the 2026 edition of the tournament returns to Albany, Bahamas, December 3-6.
This year’s 20-player field features seven of the top 10 players in the world (as of the eligibility date following the TOUR Championship) and two former tournament champions. Defending champion Hideki Matsuyama, a two-time winner at Albany in 2016 and 2025, and Scottie Scheffler, who won back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024, are both looking to become the first three-time winner at Albany.
The field currently features 106 combined PGA TOUR victories and six golfers who have amassed 11 major championships. Eleven 2026 Presidents Cup participants, including eight from the victorious U.S. team, are in the field. Three players – Si Woo Kim, Ryan Gerard and Jacob Bridgeman – will make their Hero World Challenge debuts. 2026 was a breakout season for Bridgeman, who won The Genesis Invitational in February, captured the Biltmore Championship Asheville in September, and recorded the winning point in the Presidents Cup.
The 2026 field includes golfers from six countries (USA, England, Republic of Korea, Scotland, Japan and Austria). The remainder of the field will be announced at a later date.
2026 HERO WORLD CHALLENGE FIELD
Name (Official World Golf Ranking as of 8/31/26 eligibility date), Country
| Scottie Scheffler (1), USA | Justin Thomas (21), USA |
| Cameron Young (3), USA | Ryan Gerard (22), USA |
| Matt Fitzpatrick (4), England | Hideki Matsuyama (26), Japan |
| Russell Henley (6), USA | Jacob Bridgeman (28), USA |
| Chris Gotterup (7), USA | Tom Kim (30), Republic of Korea |
| Sam Burns (9), USA | Sepp Straka (32), Austria |
| Xander Schauffele (10), USA | Akshay Bhatia (33), USA |
| Si Woo Kim (13), Republic of Korea | TBA tournament exemption |
| J.J. Spaun (17), USA | TBA tournament exemption |
| Robert MacIntyre (18), Scotland | TBA tournament exemption |
Tournament rounds will be held December 3-6 at Albany, bringing the event back to The Bahamas for its 11th year. Live television coverage of the 2026 Hero World Challenge will be provided by GOLF Channel during all four rounds and by NBC during the third and final rounds.
Grounds tickets and a limited number of premium hospitality packages for the Hero World Challenge are available for purchase at HeroWorldChallenge.com. Proceeds from the Hero World Challenge benefit the TGR Foundation, Tavistock Foundation and Bahamas Youth Foundation.
Media Contacts:
Noah Sharfman – nsharfman@tgrfoundation.org – (310) 702-8819
Greg Ball – gregb@bzapr.com – (760) 271-9183
