3. Justin Thomas
For the second-straight season, nobody earned more money on the PGA Tour than current World No. 4 Justin Thomas, who followed up his 2017 haul of $9.9 million with $8.7 million in 2018.
It was surprising that he did not perform better in the majors, but it was still a phenomenal season as he posted three victories among 10 top 10 finishes, with the most recent coming at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in August, and he was the American star of the Ryder Cup.
This will be Thomas’ second attempt at the Hero (he was solo-11th last year), and he is arriving in The Bahamas off more than a month of rest. We think he ends 2018 on a high note.
Odds: 9-1
World Rank: 4th
Field Rank: 3rd
Last Six: 36, 5, 7, 12, 24, 8
2. Bryson DeChambeau
A Hero World Challenge rookie, the unorthodox 25-year-old DeChambeau asserted himself as one of the world’s elite players in 2018, winning three events, including two during the FedExCup Playoffs, and then adding a fourth win at the recent Shriners Hospitals For Children Open, the only event he has played since the new season began.
Now No. 5 in the Official World Golf Rankings, DeChambeau has the look of a future No. 1, and in this limited (but elite) field event lots of points are there for the taking, as even the last-place finisher (18th) is guaranteed points, while the winner will take home 48 – about what the champion of a regular top-tier PGA Tour event like the Honda Classic receives.
We think he will play well enough at Albany (top 5) and add another – at minimum – 10 points or so to keep notching slowly upwards.
Unless he decides his style doesn’t mesh with Bahamas golf, expect him to become a regular at this event in the future. At the very least, he will be invited every year, as he and Tiger have reportedly forged a tight friendship.
Odds: 11-1
World Rank: 5th
Field Rank: 4th
Last Six: 1, 19, 19, 1, 1, MC
1. Justin Rose
The highest-ranked player in the Hero field (No. 2), Rose has been the best golfer in the world over the past 12 months, and is currently on a scorching six-start stretch where he’s finished runner-up twice alongside three additional top 10s (3rd, 8th, 4th), and a repeat victory at the Turkish Airlines Open.
Since the start of 2018, Rose has posted one great finish after another, which allowed him to capture the $10 million FedExCup Championship.
Since finishing T5 at last year’s Hero World Challenge, Rose has made 22 starts worldwide. In those starts, he has three victories, three runner-ups, 10 top 5s, and 15 top 10s. On the PGA Tour, he finished 2nd in birdie average and 2nd in scoring average. Put succinctly, he is very,very good.
Odds: 7-1
World Rank: 2nd
Field Rank: 1st
Last Six: 1, 3, 8, 4, 2, 2