6. Dustin Johnson
DJ led the PGA Tour in seemingly everything last season, including top-10 finishes (12), scoring average, birdie average, strokes gained: off-the-tee, strokes gained: tee-to-green, and strokes gained: total, had three victories and eight top-3 finishes, but still did not claim the PGA Tour Player of the Year Award, which went to the star of the major season, Brooks Koepka.
Johnson spent more time at No. 1 in the world rankings than anyone in 2018, and currently ranks 3rd, behind just Koepka and Justin Rose.
It is uncertain where his mind is right now, as there have been copious rumors swirling about possible turmoil in his personal life, but few players are dialed in more consistently.
In three starts at the Hero, the 19-time PGA Tour winner has one great result (T3, 2017) sandwiched between two surprisingly awful results (15, 2016 and T14, 2018).
Odds: 8-1
World Rank: 3rd
Field Rank: 2nd
Last Six: 30, 3, 24, 7, 11, 27
5. Tiger Woods
The tournament host and five-time event champion (Davis Love III and Graeme McDowell are the only others to win at least two), the state of Tiger Woods’ game is something of a mystery at the moment.
An unquestionably successful comeback season culminated with a landmark victory at the Tour Championship – his first win in five years- and a No. 2 ranking in the final FedExCup Standings.
However, in two events since, Tiger was a disaster at the Ryder Cup, and was only so-so in last week’s match against Phil Mickelson where he lost the $9 million prize in a 22-hole marathon against the reeling, but highly-motivated, Lefty.
With the Hero being a low-pressure, stroke-play event, we believe Tiger will look more like summer Tiger, and end 2018 on a high note that only the most optimistic of fans saw coming.
Odds: 9-1
World Rank: 13th
Field Rank: 9th
Last Six: 1, 6, 24, 40, 2, 31
4. Rickie Fowler
The defending Hero World Challenge Champion was a one-man show during Sunday’s finale last year, birdieing his first seven holes en route to a course-record 11-under 61, turning a five-stroke 54-hole deficit into a four-stroke victory.
Surprisingly, Rickie has not won since, with a runner-up finish at The Masters being his best result in an official 2018 event.
He ranked well in nearly every important statistic this past year, including finishing 8th in scoring average, but his six top-10s was his lowest in five years.
Fowler continues to be an enigma, and is facing tremendous pressure to add more wins to his resume, but with three consecutive top-3 finishes at the Hero, combined with the fact that he has finished outside the top 20 in just one of his past 12 events, he should be feeling very comfortable in the Bahamas.
Odds: 8-1
World Rank: 9th
Field Rank: 6th
Last Six: 16, 4, 7, 8, 12, 17
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