Why Rickie Fowler wasn’t picked for the Hero World Challenge by Tiger Woods

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Rickie Fowler won’t be teeing it up at Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge this December.

With Woods overlooking him for one of the three special exemptions, Fowler might not return to competitive action until late January. Since February 2019, he has only managed a single PGA Tour win.

The 36-year-old from Murrieta, California, showed glimpses last season that he was starting to look more like his old self.

But consistency was still an issue, and it kept him from seriously challenging in any tournaments. It’s hard to argue against his omission from the Albany Golf Club field next month.

Jordan Spieth was one of the players invited to the Hero World Challenge. Akshay Bhatia and Billy Horschel also received invites.

Why Tiger Woods didn’t include Rickie Fowler in the Hero World Challenge

There’s now a bit more clarity on why Fowler won’t be part of the Hero World Challenge in December.

It appears that it wasn’t so much a decision by Woods as it was down to Fowler’s position in the rankings at the time invitations were sent out.

Sports Illustrated’s Bob Harig shared some details about how the field was put together.

“A lot of angst over this but Fowler wasn’t eligible. The three sponsor invites Spieth, Horschel and Bhatia all Top 50 OWGR when qualification period ended after Tour Champ. The rest of the field determined by major winners and going down OWGR list to invite.”

Sitting at 80th in the Official World Golf Rankings, there were plenty of players ahead of him when it came time to fill out the field for Tiger’s event.

Hero World Challenge field in full

The complete lineup for the Hero World Challenge in December has been confirmed. Here’s a look at everyone set to compete:

While Spieth currently sits outside the top 50, his three major wins were enough to secure his spot in Tiger’s event.

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Fowler will be watching from home this year, but he’ll be hoping for a stronger season in 2026 to earn his way back into the field.