World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler headlines Hero World Challenge field
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The gist
World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler headlines the initial field for the December 3-6 Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.
He has won the event twice and could become its first three-time winner since it moved to the Bahamas.
Background
Scottie Scheffler is the World No. 1 professional golfer and a two-time Masters champion. The Hero World Challenge is a December tournament at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas; Scheffler won it in 2023 and 2024 and finished fourth in 2025. The field announcement comes after a dominant 2026 season in which he won the FedEx St. Jude Championship and the Tour Championship, and went 3-1-0 as the U.S. rallied to beat the International team 17-13 at the Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club.
How it unfolded
- Apr 6, 2026The 2026 Masters, the 90th playing at Augusta National, gets underway with two-time champion Scheffler in the 91-player field, less than two weeks after his wife Meredith gave birth to their second son, Remy.
- Sep 25, 2026Scheffler walks the 3rd hole during the second round of the 2026 Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois.
- Oct 15, 2026Commentator Colt Knost reveals on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio that Scheffler left a group of junior players stunned with an unprompted gesture at Royal Oaks Country Club.
- Oct 20, 2026The initial field is announced for the December 3-6 Hero World Challenge at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas, headlined by Scheffler, Hideki Matsuyama and seven of the world's top 10 players.
- Oct 21, 2026A report says Scheffler leaves tens of millions of dollars on the table each year and remains one of the 20 most valuable athletes in the world.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Colt Knost said Scheffler, now No. 1 in the world, does not forget where he came from and acts that way when people don't see it, citing his time with junior players at Royal Oaks.
- Caution
- Scheffler said it is hard to go from 100% on to 100% off and that he is finding the balance on how much he can handle outside the sport, per The Athletic.
- Expert
- Jordan Spieth said in 2025 that Scheffler wants to get away from the game and separate the two, feeling it was too much and that he was taking it with him.