This year’s Hero World Challenge will end on Saturday in an effort to help players, including tournament host and U.S. captain Tiger Woods, get from the Bahamas to Australia in time for the Presidents Cup held the following week.
The tournament officially announced its dates on Tuesday and will run Dec. 4-7 as Albany hosts the 18-man unofficial event for the fifth straight year. The Presidents Cup will kick off at Royal Melbourne on Monday Dec. 9, with opening-round matches on Dec. 12.
“I am looking forward to hosting the 2019 Hero World Challenge at Albany and beginning two weeks of international competition,” Woods said in a release. “Since moving the tournament to Albany in 2015, the event has grown in many ways and this year’s unique schedule allows us to continue trying new things during tournament week.”
Even with the adjusted dates, it will still be a quick turnaround for Woods and other Presidents Cup participants. With nearly 10,000 miles separating the Bahamas from Australia, flight times between the two destinations could approach 20 hours.
Last year’s field featured six players who participated in the 2017 Presidents Cup at Liberty National. That group didn’t include Woods, who served as an assistant under Steve Stricker. He was named last March as the captain of the American team, with Ernie Els leading the International squad, although Woods is expected to serve as a playing captain following his victory earlier this month at the Masters.