Hero World Challenge TEE TIMES

 PGA Tour: Hero World Challenge TEE TIMES here.

 I have always had my doubts about the merit of this exhibition event getting awarded full PGA Tour status with OWGR points and a $3.5m purse.

On one hand it's a tremendous charity fund raiser for one of golf's greatest in Tiger Woods, and the 14 of the world's top 20 who show up this week wouldn't be as handsomely rewarded without his presence.

This is the 25th year of the Tiger Woods Foundation and their theme #TogetherFor Youth preparing students to thrive in school,college and their careers.

He transcended the game, and being of black origins lifted the game out of the leafy white suburbs into homes of all ethnic backgrounds around the world. He attracted huge financial contracts for major TV networks to sell very expensive advertising, and therefore provide the millions of dollars on offer for today's professionals.

On the other hand it is was originally an 18 man invitational exhibition, this week it's up to 20 in Albany, Bahamas, with great weather in the forecast. The purse is $3.5m with the winner getting $1m, 20th place getting $100,000. The winner also gets 48 official world ranking points, but no Fed Ex Cup points, and their is no cut.

Colin Morikawa can take world #1 spot should he win, Jon Rahm is not in the field. You have to been in the top 50 to get invited.

Any other pro playing in any other pro event other than a WGC top 60 event has to beat a field of 156 with a cut after 36 holes to get any OWGR points.

So to many it was a chance to see Tiger during the off season with 17 of his colleagues, which was great for TV, great for the fans at home. 

I would just rather leave it that way without PGA Tour status, without OWGR points, just a nice working vacation all paid for the guys and their families to help raise donations for all the kids Tiger helps.

There are no Canadians in the field.

Bryan Angus