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Scottie Scheffler is the defending champion.
Woods was unlikely to play in the Bahamas since disclosing Sept.
13 he had yet another surgery on his lower back — his sixth in
10 years — that he hoped would relieve some of the spasms he had
experienced this year.
He described it as a microdecompression surgery of the lumbar
spine for nerve impingement, and the recovery time typically is
eight to 12 weeks. Woods said while he was disappointed not to
play, he looked forward to his role as the tournament host.
Woods finished 18th in the 20-man field a year ago.
Thomas is a two-time PGA champion whose wife gave birth to their
first child a week ago, a daughter they named Molly Grace. He
has played only once since the Tour Championship.
The newcomer to the unofficial event — its gets world ranking
points but not official money — is Dunlap, who won a PGA Tour
event as an amateur, left Alabama to turn pro and picked up a
second win. Dunlap joins Woods as the only players to win the
U.S. Junior Amateur and the U.S. Amateur.
Woods, meanwhile, is far more likely to play the PNC Challenge
on Dec. 14-15 in Orlando, Florida, a 36-hole event with his son,
Charlie. Woods is allowed to ride a cart that week because it is
sanctioned by the PGA Tour Champions.
A year ago at the Hero World Challenge, Woods spoke about his
hopes of playing a big tournament every month. But he withdrew
after one round at Riviera and did not play again for nearly two
months. He finishes the year completing only 11 rounds.
He set a Masters record by making his 24th consecutive cut, and
then Woods missed the cut in the other three majors.
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