This Week in Golf -- Dec. 3-7

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - PGA TOUR - HERO WORLD CHALLENGE, Isleworth Golf & Country Club, Windermere, Florida - After a week off, the PGA Tour is back in action at the Hero World Challenge, which is hosted by Tiger Woods.

Last year, Zach Johnson made par on the first playoff hole to defeat Woods and win this event for the first time. Johnson shot up the leaderboard with a final-round, 4-under 68 to join Woods (70) at 13-under-par 275 at the end of regulation.

Both Johnson and Woods are back in the field again this week along with 16 others. The field features 18 players who are all ranked in the top 40 in the world, including seven of the top 11 and 15 of the top 25.

Woods is back in action after taking time off to get healthy and to get his game on track. He last played at the PGA Championship at the beginning of August, where Woods missed the cut. Woods played in just eight events last season and withdrew from two of them.

Keegan Bradley, Jason Day, Rickie Fowler, Billy Horschel, Chris Kirk, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Hideki Matsuyama, Graeme McDowell, Patrick Reed, Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth, Henrik Stenson, Steve Stricker, Jimmy Walker and Bubba Watson are the other 16 players this week.

Golf Channel will have extensive coverage of all four days, including early coverage on the weekend before handing things off to NBC on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

The PGA Tour will be back in Florida again next week for the Franklin Templeton Shootout, where Matt Kuchar and Harris English defeated Retief Goosen and Freddie Jacobson by seven last year.

EUROPEAN TOUR

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE, Gary Player Country Club, Sun City, South Africa - The European Tour kicks off its 2014-15 campaign this week with the Nedbank Golf Challenge, where Thomas Bjorn emerged victorious by two shots last season.

Bjorn fired a 7-under 65 in his final round last year to finish at 20-under- par 268, which was two shots better than Sergio Garcia and Jamie Donaldson. Last year's win was the last victory Bjorn earned on the European Tour. He has 15 in his career.

Bjorn is back in the field again this week along with 29 others. The 2014 U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer will also be in action this week. The field consists of 25 players ranked between 12th and 86th in the world rankings.

Other notable players participating this week are Luke Donald, Jamie Donaldson, Stephen Gallacher, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and Lee Westwood.

The golf Channel will have early morning coverage of all four rounds.

The European Tour will be back in South Africa for its second of three straight events there for the Alfred Dunhill Championship, where Schwartzel ran away with a 4-shot win over Richard Finch last year.

LPGA TOUR

LPGA FINAL QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT, LPGA International (Arthur Hills Course/Rees Jones Course), Daytona Beach, Florida - A total of 155 players have reached the final stage of the LPGA Q School as they attempt to earn a spot on tour for the upcoming season in 2015.

The top-20 finishers this week will earn category 12 status on the LPGA Tour priority list, while those finishing between 21 and 45 get category 17 status. Those who do not earn category 12 or 17 status will still have the opportunity to play for status on the Symetra Tour priority list.

Last year, Jaye Marie Green ran away with a 10-shot victory at this event. Green carded five straight rounds in the 60s, including a 10-under 62 in the first round. Green shot a 4-under 68 on the final day to finish at 29-under- par 331.

In 2014, Green missed 11 cuts in 22 events and she did not finish inside the top 10 once. Green's best finish came at the Marathon Classic, where she tied for 18th.

There is no television coverage this week. The event lasts five rounds and begins on Wednesday.

This is the last tournament for the LPGA Tour until the 2015 season kicks off on Jan. 28 in Florida at the Coates Golf Championship, which is a new event.