Top Players, Picks And PGA Preview: Scheffler’s Dominance And Title Defense At 2025 Hero World Challenge in Bahamas 

Scottie Scheffler is the prohibitive favorite to win the 2025 Hero World Challenge after capturing last year’s event to cap a spectacular season. Scheffler’s final round 63 set him 6 strokes clear of runner-up Tom Kim, with Justin Thomas another stroke back. Scheffler tied the tournament record with a 25-under par, 263 total, and he also won the event in 2023. He also has two other runner-up finishes at the event. The world No. 1 Scheffler has six wins in 2025, and plays competitively for the first time since the Ryder Cup in September. Eight Ryder Cup players will compete in the 2025 Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in the 10th edition of the event at Albany.  

Scheffler is the prohibitive favorite to win at +155 odds in the 20-player field. Scottie has been a dominant favorite in recent years, similar to tournament host Tiger Woods, who is not playing but will preview the event with the media on Tuesday as the host and 5-time Hero Challenge winner.    

Event, Course, And Stats

The Hero World Challenge is an unofficial PGA Tour event. There are no FedExCup points, and no official prize money. However, a prize fund of $5 million will be distributed to the 20 golfers participating in the 72-hole, no-cut event. 

The Albany golf course in Nassau has five par 5s on the Par 72 Ernie Els design. The course plays to 7,449 yards – more than 100 yards longer than last year, and two par 4’s stretch beyond 500 yards and two par 5’s more than 600 yards. Very wide fairways (39 yards) allowed for a high 70% driving accuracy in 2024 with an average driving distance of 300 yards. But a .5 (half shot) penalty in scoring for those players that miss the fairways off the tee is notable, along with potential higher winds on the links design. For players that are not sharp on approach shots, Albany has played among the 5 toughest courses on Tour for strokes gained Around the Green over the last 15 years. The grain around the Bermuda greens and grass proves to be more difficult for chipping, and it’s among the most difficult putting inside 5-feet, per Data Golf.  

Odds to Win 2025 Hero World Challenge

Leading favorites and contenders golf odds from BetOnline refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live/in-game betting. 

• +150: Scottie Scheffler
• +1400: Robert McIntyre, Cameron Young
• +1600: J.J. Spaun
• +2000: Sam Burns, Hideki Matsuyama
• +2200: Justin Rose, Keegan Bradley, Aaron Rai
• +2500: Alex Noren, Jordan Spieth
• +2800: Sepp Straka, Harris English, Akshay Bhatia
• +3300: Corey Connors, Chris Gotterup
• +3500: Brian Harman
• +5000: Andrew Novak
• +6000: Wyndham Clark
• +5600: Billy Horschel

Player Picks And Projections

Sam Burns is worth a bet to win at odds near 20/1, and also in select tournament matchups, preferred over Bradley. Burns could have easily won here when third on debut at the end of his breakout 2021 season. He’s among the best putters on Tour and capable of separating on these grainy grasses and greens. 

Players To Watch And Top Power Rankings

1. Scottie Scheffler’s two wins and two runner-up finishes at Albany and the Hero World Challenge offset any rust as he returns to tournament competition after the Ryder Cup. He won the last two events her after a 3-month layoff. The 29-year-old No. 1-ranked player has 19 PGA Tour wins and 4 major championship titles as he prepares for the Hero World Challenge and another strong run of play and wins in 2026. Albany requires long driving, some accuracy, with strong iron play on approac,h and a good short game around the green. Scheffler is an ideal fit, but his odds are the great equalizer and not worthy of a win bet. While Data Golf gives Scottie a better than 92% chance to finish top-10, laying -1400 ($1,400 to win $100) is not worth the risk, nor is supporting +155 odds to win the event.  
2. Cameron Young is a big hitter who broke through for his first win on the PGA Tour in August at the Wyndham Championship. The 28-year-old went on to finish 4th in the Tour Championship, and any lack of accuracy off the tee is offset with the wide, forgiving fairways at Albany. Young’s approach play will determine his success, but his much-improved putting has him top 10 on Tour in 2025 in Strokes Gained, Putting. He finished T13 last year after a strong opening round of 64 but an even par final round. A 3rd place finish at Albany on debut in 2023 suggests he can contend with Data Golf odds giving Young a nearly 60% chance to finish top 10 and BetOnline odds of -175 to finish top-10 even stronger. 
3. J.J. Spaun’s stock rose higher and faster than nearly any play on the PGA Tour in 2025. He was nearly triple-digit odds to win the opening event at the Sony Open and finished third. That foreshadowed what was ahead for the now 35-year-old, who earned a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team. The journeyman never knew how good he could be and went on to win the U.S. Open, shooting 32 on the back-9 in a war of attrition at Oakmont. While Spaun ranks top 10 in SG: Approach, along with No. 1 Scheffler in the field, his stock is still too high and odds not worth supporting even with a 60% chance to finish top-10, according to Data Golf. 
4. Robert McIntyre also emerged in 2025 to become one of the top players in the world. He joins J.J. Spaun in the top 10 of the Official World Golf rankings, but the 29-year-old left-handed Scottsman has a more proven resume. He nearly won the 2023 Scottish Open, and then broke through on Tour to win the RBC Canadian Open in 2024 with his dad carrying his bag as caddie. Now in 2025, McIntyre has a runner-up finish to Spaun in the U.S. Open, plus a pair of top 10 finishes at The Players Championship and British Open. Oh, and he won the Dunhill Links at St. Andrews after an excellent Ryder Cup. His putting was poor in last year’s debut in the Hero World Challenge, yet McIntyre still finished seventh. He’s a better bet for top 10 and a potential win. 
5. Sam Burns is best friends with Scottie Scheffler, and the 29-year-old Ryder Cup player has the game and desire to continue forward in 2026. Currently ranked No. 25 in the world after finishing last year No. 20, Burns finished 4th at the U.S. Open and lost in a playoff at the RBC Canadian Open this year. Burns’ game takes a back seat to Scheffler overall like all others, but putting does not. Sam Burns is among the best on Tour, and his SG: Putting stats show him No. 1 in 2025.  
6. Hideki Matsuyama has the same odds as Sam Burns to win the Hero World Challenge. But the 33-year-old Japanese star and major champion won this event in 2016 when at the top of his game, but seems ready to fire again leading into the 2026 opening PGA event at The Sentry, which he won earlier this year. The difference with Hideki versus many others in this field is that he’s played four tournaments since the end of the PGA Tour season, and he’s been sharp and firing well on approach.  

Tournament Matchups

BetOnline offers an extensive range of 72-hole tournament matchups each week. Here are some of the key matchups and players to watch:

• Scheffler (-500) vs. Young (+370)
• Scheffler (-400) vs McIntyre (+315)
• McIntyre (-130) vs. Young (+109)
• Young (-115) vs. Spaun (-105
• Bradley (-115) vs. Burns (-105) – Bet Burns
• Burns (-120) vs. Matsuyama (+100)
• Bradley (-140) vs. Noren (+117)
• Rai (-140) vs. Rose (+117)
• Conners (-125) vs. Rose (+105)
• Rai (-132) vs. Bhatia (+110)
• Spieth (-115) vs. Straka (-105)
• Straka (-130) vs. Gotterup (+109)
• Spieth (-115) vs. English (-105)
• Harman (-144) vs. Horschel (+120)
• Harman (-144) vs. Clark (+120)
• Novak (-120) vs. Horschel (+100)

Bet on the Action

BetOnline provides numerous opportunities for fans to wager on their favorite players, whether you’re betting on individual matchups or round-by-round action. Get in on the action and place your bets today!