From Tiger Woods’ dogs to OWGR skepticism, here are the highlights from Hero World Challenge’s finish
Tiger Woods' Hero World Challenge came and went, as the now official event saw a few stars turn out for an incredible golf tournament. Several things came of it, including a lot of criticism that it counts for Official World Golf Rankings and how much it counts for the overall rankings.
After a change, it was theoretically possible for Scottie Scheffler, who did play in the event, to usurp the top spot on the leaderboard back from Rory McIlroy, who didn't. Scheffler and others weren't happy with it, though nothing came of it in the end as the 26-year-old did not win.
That's the biggest highlight from the event, but there were plenty more at the golf event hosted by Tiger Woods.
What caught the eye during Tiger Woods' Hero World Challenge
Tiger Woods himself, who hosted the event, was, unfortunately, unable to play. That frustrated him and probably disappointed his fans and colleagues, who likely wanted to see him step onto the green and take some swings.
He, in turn, found other things to do, including walking his dogs. That turned out to be a lot of fun for the golfer, as he raced his golf cart with the dogs charging alongside.
Weather threw a wrench in the plans of all involved, but they tried their best to surmount the challenge. As a result, many golfers were seen doing something rather unorthodox: practicing hitting golf balls caked in mud.
Same trophy, different year. 🏆🏆 Here’s a look at the PING clubs Viktor Hovland used to defend his title at the Hero World Challenge: #G425 LST (9º) driver, #i210 irons (4-PW), #Glide4 wedges (50/SS, 56/SS), Glide 2.0 wedge (58/TS), PING #PLD DS72 putter https://t.co/k6HBQkOvkT
Rain was supposed to come in and mud was underfoot, so the golfers tried their best to figure out what it would be like to play under those conditions.
Several golfers, namely Scheffler, were unhappy with the OWGR changes for Hero World Challenge, as he said (per the Golf Channel):
“I understand that they got away from the minimums for every tour, which I think made a lot of sense. I think now I would say the top players are not bringing as much weight to events as they should."
He added:
“It's really tough to rank golfers when they're not playing the same schedule. So I think as we all start to play together more often and you get the best players playing together more often, it's going to be much easier to rank those guys."
Jon Rahm's ascension to become one of the most respected leaders in golf was realized during Woods' Hero Challenge. He was asked about it and had a cheeky response:
“The second I won the US Open, apparently I got all the credibility I needed. Before that, nobody cared. I got COVID, Memorial happened, then I win the US Open and, all of a sudden, my opinion matters. That’s kind of how it went.”
His performance at Tiger Woods' Hero World Challenge was very good, but he's become the kind of golfer that doesn't necessarily have to win to be asked about things.