Rai Steps In for Injured Thomas at Hero World Challenge
Aaron Rai will take Justin Thomas’s spot in the upcoming Hero World Challenge after Thomas announced he underwent microdiscectomy surgery on his back. Thomas shared on social media that he’ll “definitely miss some events to start [next] year.”
Rai’s coming off a solid PGA Tour season where he posted 10 top-25 finishes in 21 events. He recently lost in a playoff at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on the DP World Tour, showing he’s in good form heading into this event.
This won’t be Rai’s first time at Albany. He played the Hero World Challenge last year, finishing tied for 14th in the 20-player field. The Englishman’s consistent play makes him a worthy addition to the exclusive field.
Tiger Woods, who hosts this unofficial event, is also sidelined with back surgery and won’t compete. But the tournament still boasts some serious star power with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler returning to defend his title.
The Hero World Challenge has assembled a strong field despite the absences. Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, and Jordan Spieth highlight a roster that includes major champions and rising talents.
Here’s the complete field:
- Scottie Scheffler
- J.J. Spaun
- Robert MacIntyre
- Harris English
- Keegan Bradley
- Justin Rose
- Sepp Straka
- Hideki Matsuyama
- Cameron Young
- Sam Burns
- Corey Conners
- Chris Gotterup
- Wyndham Clark
- Brian Harman
- Andrew Novak
- Alex Noren
- Jordan Spieth
- Billy Horschel
- Akshay Bhatia
- Aaron Rai
