Preview: Chevron World Challenge

Tiger Woods hosts, but will not play, in the Chevron World Challenge at Sherwood Country Club in California.

Tiger Woods
Fergus Bisset
By
published

Lowdown: Tiger Woods hosts, but will not play, in the Chevron World Challenge. A select field of just 16 professionals will compete around the, Jack Nicklaus designed, Sherwood Country Club for a first prize of $1,350,000. The field includes the likes of of Vijay Singh, Anthony Kim and Camilo Villegas. The tournament promises to be a good deal closer than last year’s event when Tiger romped home by seven shots, despite having just returned from a seven week layoff from competitive golf.

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Venue: Sherwood Country Club, California Date: December 18-21 Course stats: par 72, 7,027 yards Purse: $5,750,000 Winner: $1,350,000 Defending champion: Tiger Woods (-22)

TV coverage: Thursday 18 – Live on Setanta Golf from 8.00pm Friday 19 – Live on Setanta Golf from 8.00pm Saturday 20 – Live on Setanta Golf from 8.00pm Sunday 21 – Live on Setanta Golf from 8.00pm

Player watch: Vijay Singh – The big Fijian is capable of leaving the field standing if his putter behaves. He’ll probably be favourite going into the competition. Anthony Kim – The young American has come of age in 2008 and will be hoping to close the year with a bang.

Key hole: 15th. A beautiful par 3 of 189 yards. The tee-shot is all carry across water to a narrow green. Getting the correct club here is essential. Skills required: Scoring. Tiger Woods won last year with a -22 total. The winner will have to make a large number of birdies.

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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