Whether Woods plays or not, the Hero will again have a star-studded field of 20 players, including world No.1 Scottie Scheffler and No.4 Viktor Hovland, who is the event’s two-time defending champion.
Ninety-nine of the top 100 players in the Official World Golf Ranking are listed in the field, with Will Zalatoris the only one missing as he is not competing due to recent back surgery.
Golf Saudi officials sent out a press release trumpeting a list of 25 top players – including 11 Major champions – who they say have committed to playing at Royal Greens Golf Club near Jeddah.
It’s been nearly 24 months since the R&A named Shane Lowry its last “champion golfer of the year,” the COVID-19 pandemic causing the cancellation of the Open Championship in 2020 for the first time since World War II.