This week in the Bahamas, it’s either going to be a wild mess or great entertainment. The Hero World Challenge returns, without Tiger Woods, sadly. But with Albany Golf Course right by the coast, expect winds to keep things interesting.

The Ernie Els Design team transformed a bland, flat plot into a links-style par-72 layout stretching 7,449 yards. The scoring average last year was 69.94, the same as in 2023.

But this open, exposed course is guarded by towering sand dunes (some 30 ft high), and has water hazards lurking on five holes. Stray tee shots land in 2-inch thick rough. And into waste areas, exactly where Patrick Reed found himself in 2019 and allegedly improved his lie by moving the sand. Notice closely in this slow-motion clip and tell us if you think Reed did it deliberately.

Dunes, water hazards, and waste areas aren’t the only problems. Green size averages only 4,500 square feet. Putting surfaces roll at 12 feet on the Stimpmeter. Given all that, of course, Scottie Scheffler remains the safest bet. He hasn’t finished worse than second in four starts and won in 2023 and 2024.

But watch out for Robert MacIntyre. He has played three DPWT events since September, bagged a title, and finished T8 and T9 in the other two. MacIntyre also picked up a solo seventh in his HWC debut last year.

Then there’s Cameron Young, with a title and three top-tens in the last five starts. Meanwhile, Chris Gotterup has four top tens in the last ten starts. So, yes, beating Scottie will be tough, but these three look poised to end Scheffler’s Bahamas dominance.

Who had the best 2025 in golf? Here is our take, including the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and LPGA Tour.

Scottie Scheffler: Six PGA Tour wins, including two majors, leading scoring average in all four rounds (the only player besides Tiger to do that). It’s tough to argue Scottie wasn’t the season’s best player. How does he do it? Well, watch Scottie save a par despite his tee shot landing on a different hole, and you might just get it.

Rory McIlroy: AT&T Pebble Beach. The Players. The Masters (and Grand Slam). First Ryder Cup away win. Irish Open. Seventh Race to Dubai crown. A historic year for one of the game’s greatest. Also, Rory authored the best crowd moment that still gives us chills. You should definitely check it out.

Jeeno Thitikul: Won three times, reached World No. 1, and set the LPGA’s lowest scoring average (68.68). Also won the Rolex Player of the Year Award and Vare Trophy. She has one of the purest swings in all of pro golf, as you can see here.

Tommy Fleetwood: Won the Tour Championship, the inaugural DP World India Championship, stole the Ryder Cup spotlight, and reached the career-best ranking (3rd). The cherry on top was, of course, this heartwarming post-victory celebration with his son.

Jon Rahm: Zero wins, yes. But he still snagged the second straight LIV Golf individual title and picked 3 points at the Ryder Cup. He came closest at the U.S. Open (T7) and the PGA Championship (T8). The highlight was, of course, this crazy chip-in at the Ryder Cup.

Everyone who ever swung a club knows you’re not supposed to walk in your fellow player’s line. Scottie certainly forgot it when he walked on Cam Smith’s line. Of course, if you do it, it won’t cost you a stroke. But it’s a matter of respect, and here is what you should and shouldn’t do:

• When your playing mate is reading the putt, avoid stepping on the line. On firm green, it might not cause an issue, but on a really soft and delicate surface, shoe spikes can leave marks.

• Don’t drag your putter or place your golf bag to block the view. And never lean on your putter near the hole, particularly within a 3-foot radius, where the turf is most sensitive.

• When crossing someone’s line, walk around behind them or step over at the closest point to the hole. Watch golf coach Ben Adams explain it here. 

What if you accidentally step on a line? Well, you can always apologize. That’s one way to not look like a douche on the golf course. We’ve listed the others below.

In a recent YouTube episode, Grant Horvat casually launched a ball right into the water while going toe-to-toe with DJ Khaled — watch the painful miss here. Now, the Internet is a skeptical crew when it comes to viral mishaps. So Horvat received some flak for allegedly ‘faking’ it.

To that, Horvat had this to say: I am not that good of a golfer, guys. Okay, not his exact words, but that’s the essence of it (you can check out his tweet here.) Now, hitting into water isn’t a sin or a shock. John Daly hit six balls into water at the 1998 Bay Hill Invitational.

Consider the case of Angelo Spagnolo. In 1985, at the Worst Avid Golfer event, Spagnolo made a 66 on TPC Sawgrass’ 17th hole. He hit 27 balls into the water — this is one of the wackiest efforts in the history of golf sports. But then, sometimes Golf is just like that. Puzzling.