Top 10 Power Rankings at Albany
It’s the foolish season in golf within the Western Hemisphere, however there’s some severe expertise gathered this week at the twenty third version of the Hero World Challenge.
It’s Tiger Woods’ tour that invitations the world’s greatest to compete in a 20-person, 72-hole exhibition. It is sanctioned by the PGA Tour, however didn’t rely on the cash checklist within the outdated days and now doesn’t award FedEx Cup factors.
Controversially, the OWGR spots are on the road this week.
LIV supporters will certainly be embarrassed.
A boatload of cash is on the road for the winner and everybody who takes it within the no-cut occasion. The purse is $3.5 million with $1 million for the winner and final place nonetheless collects $100,000.
Albany Golf Course in Nassau, Bahamas, is the fourth venue to host Hero and has completed so since 2015.
It’s an Ernie Els design that measures 7,309 yards for a par of 72. Bermuda grass covers the course, so search for Southeast American gamers to have a little bit extra consolation on the greens.
There aren’t many tough ones and the fairways are large. The sandy waste areas can result in some unpredictability in case you’re unclear, however the restoration photographs aren’t too sophisticated.
If you need to win, it’s a must to play from the green to hit the appropriate elements of the comparatively small greens.
It’s not too hilly both. Tiger Woods is on the sector this week competing for the primary time for the reason that Open Championship. It’s an excellent place for him to place his ft below.
The climate forecast requires a windy week with sustained double-digit mph winds and gusts of 20-plus. With little to no rain forecast, it should most likely get a little bit muggy on the market.
Let’s discover who has the most effective likelihood to finish 2022 on a excessive observe.
Xander Schauffele
OWGR: sixth, Best Hero Finish: T-8 (2018),
Xander Schauffele has made a reputation for himself because the king of restricted area occasions, however the magic hasn’t fairly carried over to the World Challenge of Heroes.
I like the shape we have seen of the X-Man in restricted motion this fall. I simply do not like his resume in Albany, which is why he is no larger than tenth within the energy rankings.
In three begins within the Bahamas, Schauffele posted T-8 (73-68-66-70) in 2018, T-10 (73-70-70-68) in 2019, and T-12 (70-70-70-68 ) final yr.
Nowhere close to the DFL, however nowhere close to the lead.
Schauffele hasn’t drained a lot this fall, so at least he’ll come to Hero clean.
His solely begin to the 2022-23 PGA Tour season to this point has been an excellent one. Schauffele shot 4 rounds within the 60s to take T-9 within the ZOZO Championship.
The 29-year-old additionally did his half to assist the Americans win the Presidents Cup. He posted a 3-1-0 report and gained his singles match.
Schauffele was one of many hottest gamers on this planet this summer time. Four straight top-20s preceded back-to-back wins at the Travelers Championship and the Genesis Scottish Open.
Perhaps he peaked only a hair too quickly as he may solely handle T-15 in St. Louis. Andrews in the hunt for his first main victory.
Schauffele improved in each stroke earned per spherical class from 2020-21 to 2021-22 besides hitting. There, he dropped minimally from 16 (.48) to 32 (.343). He was eighth in whole SG (1.652) and seventh in hitting (.701).
Schauffele was additionally ninth in bidies per spherical (4.32).
