Xander Schauffele's withdrawal from The Hero World Challenge leaves 2 spots open for Tiger Woods to join the competition: All you need to know

Xander Schauffele has withdrawn from the upcoming Hero World Challenge, which is hosted by Tiger Woods. He is now on a two-month break and won't be in action until the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January.

As per Today's Golfer, Schauffele stated that he wanted some time off from golf to allow him to unwind for the first time since the pandemic. He was last seen playing at the ZOZO Championship in October, where he finished T38.

Schauffele's withdrawal has now left two spots vacant in the final field of the Hero World Challenge. For the uninitiated, only 19 players were announced for the Bahamas event, scheduled to be played from November 30 to December 3 at the Albany Golf Club.

According to several reports, one spot was left for Woods himself. He had also increased the intensity of his practice in the last few weeks. After undergoing a subtalar fusion in April, soon after pulling out of the Masters Tournament on the final day, he was in full rehabilitation mode until only recently, when he started getting back to practice.

The 47-year-old veteran has made few public appearances recently. Earlier this month, he was seen caddying for his son, Charlie Woods, at the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship. He was walking fine without a limp, which was, in fact, the best since he met with a terrible car accident in 2021.

However, it is still uncertain whether he will make his return for this event or if fans will have to wait a little longer to see their favorite golfer back in action.

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Who is playing at the Hero World Challenge? The tournament's field explored

So far, 18 players have confirmed their participation in the Hero World Challenge. The field will feature World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and the two-time defending champion Viktor Hovland. Hovland is also the only player, besides Tiger Woods, to have won the event more than once.

Despite Schauffele pulling out of the event, seven of the top-10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) will be in action at Albany. Winning European Ryder Cup team members Matt Fitzpatrick and Sepp Straka, along with 10 members of Team US, will be competing later this month.

Brian Harman and Wyndham Clark are set to make their debuts at the Hero World Challenge this year. Two of the three exemptions for this year have been given to Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas. Fowler ended his four-year winless drought at this year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, while Thomas hasn't had the best season, failing to make cuts in six starts, including three of the majors.

The other 16 spots were filled by the top-ranked players in the OWGR. Here are the confirmed participants for the 2023 Hero World Challenge:

• Scottie Scheffler
• Viktor Hovland
• Patrick Cantlay
• Max Homa
• Matt Fitzpatrick
• Brian Harman
• Wyndham Clark
• Jordan Spieth
• Cameron Young
• Keegan Bradley
• Collin Morikawa
• Tony Finau
• Sam Burns
• Jason Day
• Sepp Straka
• Will Zalatoris
• Justin Thomas
• Rickie Fowler