“I expect him to win” - Notah Begay reveals his expectations from Tiger Woods’ big comeback
Tiger Woods' eagerly awaited return to the golf course made him the talk of the town. He had not participated in any tournament since the Masters in April, owing to an injury. Nevertheless, he is all set to make a comeback at the 2023 Hero World Challenge. On Thursday, November 30, the competition will begin with its first round, and all eyes will be on the legendary golfer.
Prior to the competition, Notah Begay, a former player of the PGA Tour, discussed Woods in an interview with Golf Today, expressing his belief that the 15-time major champion is still capable of winning a tournament despite his struggles with injury.
Tiger Woods had a knee injury and was in difficulty even standing on the course but still, he made the cut at the Masters but withdrew after playing on a few holes in the third round.
Speaking about Woods, Begay said:
"I expect him to win. I mean, I don't think in our discussions, there is any doubt that he was gonna have that ability to compete and when Tiger gets close it's, of course, gonna depend on the venue. There have to be a lot more conditions hovering in his favour than when he was in his prime. When he was in his prime, he could win at any venue, any time and basically at any moment but now it's gonna be situations."
Tiger Woods has emerged victorious in five Hero World Challenges to date. Nevertheless, he has been having trouble with the game as a result of his ailments.
This Week's tournament features some of the best golfers on the PGA Tour, who will make it challenging for Tiger to clinch the trophy in Albany. It is important to note that all five Hero World Challenge victories of Woods were recorded in Sherwood. However, the 2023 edition of the tournament will take place in Albany.
2023 Hero World Challenge odds
The analysts see Viktor Hovland, the reigning champion, as the favorite to win this week's 2023 Hero World Challenge. The Norwegian golfer will be aiming to accomplish a three-peat on Sunday, having won the competition's last two editions.
Hovland is a 4-1 favorite to retain his title, with Scottie Scheffler, the current World No. 1 and last year's Hero World Challenge runner-up, coming in second. Ryder Cup players Max Homa and Matt Fitzpatrick are next in line to win the trophy this week, with odds of +800. Collin Morikawa is also in the running.
Tiger Woods, who has been the center of attention this week, is the favorite to win at +8000.
Here are the odds of the 2023 Hero World Challenge (via SportsLine):
- Viktor Hovland +400
- Scottie Scheffler +450
- Collin Morikawa +800
- Max Homa +800
- Matt Fitzpatrick +1600
- Justin Thomas +1600
- Cameron Young +1600
- Sam Burns +2000
- Jordan Spieth +2000
- Rickie Fowler +2200
- Tony Finau +2200
- Wyndham Clark +2200
- Brian Harman +3000
- Will Zalatoris +3300
- Keegan Bradley +3500
- Jason Day +3500
- Sepp Straka +3500
- Justin Rose +3500
- Lucas Glover +5500
- Tiger Woods +8000