The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

The Hero World Challenge has expanded its list of events with several new initiatives, the latest to be hosted at the Baha Mar resort.

The tournament will officially tee off on Wednesday, December 4 at the Albany resort, but Tiger Woods and some of the world's best golfers will begin competition at 4pm today with the Hero Shot at Baha Mar.

Woods will headline the exhibition alongside 2018 Hero World Challenge winner Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Jordan Spieth, Henrik Stenson and Gary Woodland. The players will take their best shots at a bullseye approximately 100 yards over the Reflections pool at Baha Mar.

They will compete over the course of three rounds in head-to-head match-ups hitting six golf balls toward the target (three rings of varying values). The final two players will compete head-to-head in the championship round.

Baha Mar serves as the host hotel and coverage of the Hero Shot will be provided on social media by GolfTV, PGA TOUR and TGR Live.

Despite the withdrawal of one of the top ranked players in the field, the 2019 Hero World Challenge still includes a star-studded field for this week's main event.

Dustin Johnson announced on Saturday that he has withdrawn from the event, as he continues to recover from arthroscopic knee surgery following the Tour Championship.

Johnson is scheduled to play for the United States at the Presidents Cup starting on December 12.

Players need to be ranked in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking to qualify for the December tournament, making the star power in the field a marvel of the PGA TOUR.

The 2019 field is no different than past years, with major champions, past tournament winners and accolades too great to count. With 12 members of the 2019 United States Presidents Cup team playing in this year's World Challenge, the field strength and star power is second to none.

Rahm is the top ranked of the 18-man headed into the event, No.3 in the Official World Golf Rankings.

The remainder of the field includes Justin Thomas (No.5), Patrick Cantlay (No.6), Woods (No.7), Justin Rose (No.8), Xander Schauffele (No.9), DeChambeau (No.12), Tony Finau ( (No.15), Webb Simpson (No.11), Patrick Reed (No.16), Gary Woodland (No.17), Rickie Fowler (No.22), Matt Kuchar (No.23), Bubba Watson (No.40), Kevin Kisner (No.35), Henrik Stenson (No.42)and Jordan Spieth (No.44) both received exemptions.

The Tiger Woods Foundation is the event's primary charitable beneficiary, along with the Tavistock Foundation and Bahamas Youth Foundation.