Hero World Challenge Tips, Preview, Betting Odds & Tee Times

This week's trip to Albany in the Bahamas sees the last of the individual competitive action in 2023 on the PGA Tour for the top players in the world and they as well as me will surely be glad of the upcoming month break. 20 men fields with a handful of the world's best are never easy to work out, especially when it's not a regular tour event and motivation is on the decline ahead of the festive break.

Nevertheless the market leaders here never turn up an opportunity of a victory in this quality of field and everyone's interest will be perked ahead of Tiger's comeback this week, his first outing since his withdrawal at the Masters in April. 

Hero World Challenge Tips | Niall Lyons Golf Betting Tips

Albany is as easy as they come with 18 under par being the winning score five of the last eight renewals here, with the three others 20 under or better. Bubba Watson, Rahm and Hovland have all won here hitting the ball a long way off the tee, but Stenson and Fowler's wins suggest length is not a pre requisite to contend. At just over 7400 yards the par 72 is there for the taking for all golfers those who can manage to hole a fair amount of putts over the four days.

Although Matsuyama has improved his short game when he won back in 2016 he certainly wasn't renowned for it, neither was Bubba Watson. Hovland is another who has had plenty of question marks surrounding his short game. This suggests it is a simpler task, and it is as it's pretty flat and straightforward. Watson is twice a runner up at Scottsdale, same as Fowler who has also managed a win at Scottsdale, whilst Matsuyama is a double winner around that venue.

Finau is a runner up on both Albany and Scottsdale and the 2022 and 2023 Waste Management winner Scottie Scheffler has finished runner up here in the last two renewals. There are certainly similarities between the tests, with Albany having the desert feel as well as it being a flat resort type test that rewards bold, risky golf. Although my selections have little form at that event, Arizona is certainly worth a second glance when narrowing down the field to a potential winner here in the Bahamas.

The wind here is practically the only defence this course has and it'll blow a little on the opening couple of days but not enough to effect scoring too much. A number of the field come here after long lay offs most notably Tiger Woods and Will Zalatoris. It's always a treat to see Tiger back and let's hope for the sake of the game which is currently eating itself that his fitness remains in tact.

Will Zalatoris has been sorely missed also following a number of near misses in Major Championships and hopefully he can comfortably slot back into tour life. Neither make appeal in the betting market and it'll take some performance from those guys to beat the tournament favourites. 3 months off tournament golf for Jason Day, Tony Finau and Sam Burns means they are quite easy to pass up whilst Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler's only outing since the Tour Championship has been at the Ryder Cup.

Six weeks off for Bradley, Fowler and Morikawa mean that if you're keen on your golfer having had recent match practice then this field is cut down pretty easily. 20 man contests with some of the best in the game aren't the easiest to solve and value is generally thin on the ground, however nine golfers mentioned above will take a leap to get involved with and personally I'd rather sift through the remaining ten golfers in the hope that the edge lies there.

Viktor Hovland at 4/1 (Four Places)

Max Homa comes here off the back of an extremely impressive win in Sun City and yet again displayed his ability on a golf course where there is a premium on long and straight driving. It was an opportunity missed there maybe for most punters. The same test of the tee doesn't apply here and it's a shade more difficult for Homa to separate himself from the rest on a course like this.

For that reason I'll pass on the 8/1 available and although it's a shade unexciting I can't help but feel Viktor Hovland will make this his third victory on the trot in the Bahamas. He had become prolific in winning events outside the United States but really put that right in the second half of this year winning the Memorial, BMW and Tour Championship.

He is and undoubtedly has been the best golfer in the world for a fair while now and doesn't look like letting up this terrific pace. Only a closing 64 from a charging Nicolai Hojgaard thwarted another potential big victory for the Norwegian in Dubai and that very recent competitive outing should play right into his hands here this week.

From all his interviews recently and his humble words on his success in the last few years he doesn't look like somebody who would just turn up to go through the motions, and instead will look to stamp his authority on this event and make some history by winning it three years on the trot. 68-69-67-66-68-69-67-66 have been his eight round here over the past two years resulting in a total of 34 under par and the frightening thing is he is a much improved golfer from both those appearances.

Throw in the fact the 20 man field is made of two who have no competitive golf this year and eight others who have had at least six weeks off then Hovland's chances increase even further. Scheffler being one of those with a long break means that the door is wide open for Hovland to win this once again and finish off his fine 2023 in winning fashion.

4pts each-way V.Hovland  4/1  (1/4 4) Coral

Cameron Young at 20/1 (Five Places)

Cameron Young went off a 10/1 shot in Mexico at the start of November then 16/1 in the RSM Classic a few weeks ago. In the view of the world rankings the RSM was a more difficult event to win than the DP World Tour Championship despite McIlroy, Rahm and Hovland teeing it up in Dubai.

This is partly due to strength in numbers but Hovland shortens a little from his starting price of 5/1 in Dubai to 4/1 this week. Young on the other hand drifts from 16s at the RSM to 20s this week and looks worthy of a bet in an event notoriously difficult event to get value in. He hasn't pulled up any trees in Mexico or at Sea Island but there is no doubting this mans talent and a win is surely not too far away.

His putting causes big issues but a handful of players with not too dissimilar short  games to Young have won this event and at a course where par 5 scoring remains important he must be considered. He ranks 16th on tour this year in par 5 scoring and was 3rd on debut here last year. Fowler was 3rd the year before winning here whilst Scheffler and Hovland have shared 1st and 2nd here the past two years.

Course form is important at Albany and Young's debut looks eye catching. So does his price as I mentioned before and maybe his first victory on tour comes at an event that isn't quite as intimidating as a full field and where the attention all week will almost certainly be elsewhere.

3pts each-way C.Young  20/1  (1/5 5) Paddy Power