The complete rundown of the PGA Tour’s revised schedule

Anniversaries are reasons to celebrate or reflect. The best present reasons for both. This is one of those anniversaries. The Hero World Challenge marks one year since Tiger Woods’ consistent return to competition. Qualifying his return is necessary because of the numerous stops and restarts of the past several years. As a result and by every measurement, the last 12 months have been a success. Every time he’s appeared – from resuming his career (T9, Hero) to contending (T2, Valspar Championship) to winning (TOUR Championship) to participating in the Ryder Cup again – he updated a stagnant “last time Tiger Woods (fill in the blank)” with not just pedestrian occurrences but notable achievements. So, now, this week’s Hero World Challenge serves as merely a continuation for the 80-time PGA TOUR champion, and you know he’s just fine with that. Eighteen of the sport’s best are assembled at Albany in The Bahamas for the fourth consecutive year. Scroll beneath the full-field ranking for more on the course and expectations. The Hero World Challenge provides an opportunity in late autumn to keep the chops fresh during the TOUR’s holiday hiatus. The bonus is stacked competition that just happens to include Woods, who doubles as the tournament host. 
If U.S. fans didn’t overindulge over the Thanksgiving weekend, this field will clinch that experience. In conjunction with his business partners and philanthropic benefactors, Woods attracts such strength and depth with Official World Golf Ranking points and a $3.5-million prize fund from which the winner will pocket $1 million. There is no cut in the 72-hole, stroke-play competition. Albany is an Ernie Els design situated on southwestern New Providence Island. Because of its locale, wind is the primary defense, but with five par 5s, the course multiples the chances to sign for red numbers after completing the 7,309-yard stroll. Last year’s field averaged 70.333 on the par 72. (There are five par 3s to balance the nines as par 36s.) At 18-under 270, Rickie Fowler prevailed by four strokes last year, yet he started the final round seven back of the lead. His closing round featured 11 birdies en route to a bogey-free, course-record 61. The heartiest gusts of wind this week are forecast for Saturday and in advance of probable rain on Sunday, but scoring once again should be low overall. Rising temperatures into the low 80s are expected.

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THE OVERVIEW By Cameron Morfit, PGATOUR.COM On or off the course, Kevin Kisner seldom fails to entertain. He’s also very, very good. The former Georgia Bulldog first made news in 2015 when he lost three playoffs in one season, becoming the first to hit that bittersweet trifecta since Horton Smith in 1937. All he’s done since is win twice, rack up more top-10s, and, last fall, make his first Presidents Cup team.  At Liberty National, his partner on the U.S. team was none other than Phil Mickelson, who has played in every Presidents Cup. Kisner soaked up every minute. “He probably wants me to be as hyped up as I can be,â€� Kisner said of Mickelson before the matches. “He’s fired up. He’s grabbing me every five minutes and telling me something that I don’t understand, and then we go on.â€� TOP 30 PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2018: We’ll countdown our list with one new player each day in December. Click here for the published players. MORE: Top 30 explanation and schedule As it turned out, Kisner understood fine, going undefeated (2-0-2) while compiling three points in the U.S. Team’s winning effort. He and Mickelson won two of their three matches and halved the other. Kisner was so clutch and such a fine addition, you almost couldn’t fault him for his goofy “Three Amigosâ€� victory dance with Mickelson. None of which was a surprise. (OK, the dance was a surprise.) Kisner contended until the bitter end at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow (T4). He hit one of the clutch shots of the year at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a 95-foot chip that rattled the stick and dropped for eagle, forcing extra holes as dusk fell. (Jonas Blixt and Cam Smith ultimately beat Kisner and Scott Brown in the two-man team event.) At the DEAN & DELUCA Invitational, Kisner drained a bloodless five-footer on the 72nd hole for a one-stroke victory over Sean O’Hair, Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth. And he nearly made history at the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he missed an eagle putt of just over 10 feet that would have given him a third-round 59. (The 60 bettered his career low on TOUR by three.) “Kisâ€� is fired up, and he’s just getting started. Click here to follow Cameron on Twitter FEDEXCUP Current 2017-18 position: 70th Playoff appearances: 4 TOUR Championship appearances: 3 Best result: 12th (2017) BY THE NUMBERS INSIGHTS FROM OUR INSIDERS TOUR INSIDER by Ben Everill Kisner has shown himself good enough to be part of the elite names on TOUR now and this season is about maintaining, and improving. A winner in the last two seasons, Kizner should now expect nothing less than another trophy in 2018. Don’t be surprised if it comes in Hawaii before the new year is very old. He’s good in every aspect of the game, making up for any perceived lack of distance. And his competitive spirit is not to be underestimated. This guy is a bulldog — a straight-up grinder and fighter.  Click here to follow Ben on Twitter FANTASY INSIDER by Rob Bolton If this annual series focuses on fantasy value, you wouldn’t be reading about him for another week. I slotted the 33-year-old from South Carolina 17th in my full-membership fantasy ranking during the sliver of the offseason, so his appearance here represents the first noticeable drop from there to here. That speaks both to the strength remaining in the Top 30 and his underrated value in our world. He’s fresh off a career season (in his prime) in which he established a career low for missed cuts (three) for the fourth consecutive season all the while recording a career-high eight top 10s. While average in distance off the tee, he does everything else from well to outstanding. Fearless. Click here to follow Rob on Twitter EQUIPMENT INSIDER by Jonathan Wall Kisner’s Callaway Great Big Bertha driver has a custom 20-gram slide weight that replaced the two 10-gram weights he used to have in the track. Callaway GBB Epic fairway wood and 58-degree Fourteen Golf wedge were the only new additions to the bag last season. Click here to follow Jonathan on Twitter STYLE INSIDER by Greg Monteforte Kisner’s style can best be described as contemporary takes on classic looks. In 2017, he made the rare mid-season apparel shift and his new Dunning threads fit him to a tee. Here’s hoping we see more of the same from Kiz in 2018. Click here to follow Greg on Twitter

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