Scottie Scheffler is chasing history — but can anyone stop him this time? The world’s top golfer returns to the Hero World Challenge seeking his third straight title, and the question on everyone’s mind is whether Albany in The Bahamas will once again bend to his will.
For many fans emerging from a weekend blanketed in winter storms, the timing is almost poetic. As icy roads and frosty windows mark the official start of the holiday season between Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas, what better time to indulge in the warm contrast of a tropical golf event? There’s something oddly comforting about watching pros swing under Bahamian sunshine while the hum of a snowplow groans outside your door — a perfect reminder that, maybe, you’re exactly where you’re meant to be.
Twenty members of the PGA TOUR have escaped the cold to tee it up at Albany Golf Course on New Providence Island. Now in its tenth year on Ernie Els’ picturesque layout, this event offers a well-earned December treat for the game’s elite. No cut. A generous $5 million purse. A cool $1 million for the winner. And Official World Golf Ranking points for everyone in the field. For many, it’s the easiest working holiday imaginable.
But here’s where it gets interesting — and maybe a little intimidating. To claim the Hero title, you have to get through Scottie Scheffler. And that’s no simple task. Both of his first appearances ended with runner-up finishes behind Viktor Hovland. Then Scheffler flipped the script, winning back-to-back titles. Now he’s eyeing a rare three-peat, something the absent Hovland won’t be around to contest this year.
The stats paint a clear picture of his dominance. Across 16 rounds at Albany, Scheffler averages an astonishing 67.25 on the par-72 course, and in his two wins, that number drops to 66.38. Last year, he shot 25-under 263, tying the tournament scoring record and winning by six shots — the largest margin in Hero World Challenge history. That victory capped his ninth global win in 2024. Heading into the end of 2025, he’s already added six more to his name.
Yet Albany doesn’t play favorites. Its par-72 layout stretches to 7,449 yards and features a rare setup with five par 3s and five par 5s, offering creative opportunities for aggressive play. The course’s scoring average — 69.94 for both 2023 and 2024 — proves that it rewards precision as much as power. For comparison, the Puerto Rico Open’s Grand Reserve Golf Club comes closest in both setup and scoring conditions.
Unlike Grand Reserve’s paspalum grass, Albany’s surface is pure Bermuda from tee to green. The fairways are notably generous, but stray too far and you’ll meet two inches of rough. Accuracy matters even more on approach shots, with putting surfaces averaging only about 4,500 square feet. Greens are quick — typically running at 12 feet on the Stimpmeter — though officials may slow them slightly if the forecasted easterly winds start to gust. With no rain in sight and temperatures hovering near 80°F throughout the week, conditions look ideal for attacking golf.
Here’s something curious: Albany has never hosted a playoff since becoming the event’s permanent home in 2015. The small field certainly plays a role, but so does the course’s risk-reward design — winners here don’t just scrape by. Only twice in ten years has the margin of victory been a single stroke.
So as the holiday lights flicker back home and snow piles up outside, the greens of Albany are set once again for drama. Will Scheffler continue his reign, or will one of the chasing stars finally crack the code? And more importantly — is this dominance proof of greatness, or a sign that parity in golf’s elite ranks is starting to fade? Let’s hear your take in the comments — is the sport better when one man keeps winning, or when the crown changes hands?
