A three-month hiatus for World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler as he returns to Albany Golf Course to defend last year's title.
He's a particularly short +250 favorite over this strong but limited field. I break down his chances in our full Hero World Challenge odds below.
Hero World Challenge odds
Hero World Challenge field
If you include his victory here at Albany this time last year, Scottie Scheffler has nine worldwide victories over the last year. That includes a second Masters title, a Gold Medal at the Paris Olympics, and a long-overdue FedEx Cup after winning the TOUR Championship to finish out the season.
And while it's been 3+ months since he last teed it up competitively, the golf odds aren't being shy with the defending champ's prices. He's +250 across the board, well above the rest of the field.
Closest to him is Patrick Cantlay, who somehow hasn't won since the 2022 BMW Championship. He did log Top-15 finishes in four of six events to finish the season, though, and is on the board at +900 this week.
Justin Thomas is third in the 10/1 range. He finished T2 at the ZOZO last time out and has finished T5 or better in each of his last five tries here in Albany. Ludvig Aberg sits fourth at +1,100, with Sam Burns rounding out the Top 5 at +1,400.
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Hero World Challenge recent winners and odds history
Let's take a look at some recent Hero World Challenge winners and their closing odds to win:
| Year | Golfer | Closing odds |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Scottie Scheffler | +425 |
| 2022 | Viktor Hovland | +1,600 |
| 2021 | Viktor Hovland | +1,000 |
| 2020 | No event: COVID-19 related. | |
| 2019 | Henrik Stenson | +3,000 |
| 2018 | Jon Rahm | +1,200 |
| 2017 | Rickie Fowler | +800 |
| 2016 | Hideki Matsuyama | +650 |
| 2015 | Bubba Watson | +1,000 |
Odds courtesy of GolfOdds.
