The field for the annual Hero World Challenge is packed. We’ve got Scottie Scheffler coming in, trying to win his third title in a row. The likes of Justin Rose, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, & others will try to stop him from doing so. The tournament also has three sponsor invites. But so far, one man hasn’t been confirmed in the field at Albany, Bahamas. And that is Rickie Fowler. And now we know why he will not be taking the field.

Sports Illustrated writer Bob Harig revealed why Fowler wasn’t included in the tournament. He tweeted, “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.”

As it turns out, even the Hero World Challenge has an exemption qualification criterion. And after the horrendous season he had, Fowler didn’t meet the requirements to receive an exemption. As Harig mentioned, Jordan Spieth, Billy Horschel, and Akshay Bhatia all finished inside the top 50 OWGR rating at the conclusion of the TOUR Championship. Hence, they qualified for the sponsor exemption. However, Rickie Fowler is nowhere near that rank.

The 36-year-old is currently ranked the world’s #80 player. In fact, the last time he was in the top 50 was way back in the Travelers Championship week last year in June 2024. However, he won’t be completely inactive during December this year.

What other commitments will Rickie Fowler have as we near the end of 2025? Let’s take a look at his schedule.

Where will Rickie Fowler play if not at Albany in the Bahamas?

Rickie Fowler may not have made the field for the 2025 Hero World Challenge. But he will still be pretty busy during the end-of-the-year golf season. The six-time PGA Tour champion might have a few other commitments in the PGA Tour FedEx Cup Fall season. However, he hasn’t been seen on the field since the conclusion of the 2025 BMW Championship back in August.

Many would have thought he would have teamed up with Lexi Thompson for the Grant Thornton Invitational. However, as his sponsorship with Grant Thornton ended this year, he won’t be appearing in the mixed event as well. Hence, the only realistic possibility of watching Rickie Fowler play again might be in TGL. He and the rest of the New York Golf Club will face Justin Thomas‘ Atlanta Drive GC on December 29, 2025, to kick off the second season.

Emma Raducanu has sparked concern among fans after hinting at a possible health issue following her heavy defeat in the Transylvania Open final.

The British star, who had impressed throughout the tournament with a string of confident performances, struggled to find her rhythm in the championship match. After the loss, Raducanu alluded to a recent “health” scare that may have affected her preparation and performance. While she did not go into detail, her comments suggested she had been managing more than just the pressure of a big final behind the scenes.

Speaking after the match, Raducanu remained composed and gracious in defeat, praising her opponent while acknowledging that it had been a challenging week physically. She emphasized that her priority now is recovery and regaining full fitness, reassuring supporters that she is working closely with her team to address any concerns. Her resilience and openness once again highlighted the maturity she has developed on tour.

Despite the disappointing result, Raducanu’s run to the final is seen as another encouraging step in her ongoing comeback. Fans and analysts alike view the tournament as proof of her growing consistency and fighting spirit. If her health issues are resolved quickly, many believe she will carry the momentum from Transylvania into the upcoming events, determined to turn this setback into motivation for a stronger return.

Lindsey Vonn has revealed she suffered a ‘complex tibia fracture’ and will require ‘multiple’ surgeries after the horror crash that ended her Olympic career on Sunday.

In breaking her silence on the ordeal, which has already necessitated two operations, the 41-year-old also insisted her accident in the downhill final in Cortina was not caused by the ruptured knee ligaments she suffered in the same left leg nine days earlier.

Posting on Instagram, the American star said: ‘Yesterday my Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would. It wasn’t a story book ending or a fairy tale, it was just life. I dared to dream and had worked so hard to achieve it.

‘Because in Downhill ski racing the difference between a strategic line and a catastrophic injury can be as small as 5 inches.

‘I was simply 5 inches too tight on my line when my right arm hooked inside of the gate, twisting me and resulted in my crash. My ACL and past injuries had nothing to do with my crash whatsoever.

‘Unfortunately, I sustained a complex tibia fracture that is currently stable but will require multiple surgeries to fix properly.

Knowing I stood there having a chance to win was a victory in and of itself. I also knew that racing was a risk. It always was and always will be an incredibly dangerous sport. And similar to ski racing, we take risks in life. We dream. We love. We jump. And sometimes we fall.

Sometimes our hearts are broken. Sometimes we don’t achieve the dreams we know we could have. But that is the also the beauty of life; we can try. I tried. I dreamt. I jumped.

‘I hope if you take away anything from my journey it’s that you all have the courage to dare greatly. Life is too short not to take chances on yourself. Because the only failure in life is not trying. I believe in you, just as you believed in me. LV’

The veteran athlete had sped over a hill and careered into one of the plastic markers on the side of the track before hitting the ground during her Olympic final run.

Her right leg appeared to hit the ground first, as a cloud of powder engulfed the American. Vonn then tumbled forwards again, appearing to smash her shoulder into the ground, before coming to a halt on the slope.

The Cortina crowd fell silent as medical crews arrived to attend to Vonn, who was later airlifted off the mountain.

And, a photo from AP, moments before Vonn’s crash, shows the skier careering into the ski gate while she was in the air and speeding down the mountain.

Her right arm appeared to be on the wrong side of the gate, and the force of her body was evident as the ski gate seemingly snapped.

Vonn went tumbling seconds after colliding into the gate, with her body rotating 180 degrees before her heavy crash.

Organisers then began to play background music over the skier’s cries as she was lifted onto a stretcher.

The downhill event was subsequently suspended, with other competitors removing their skis at the top of the slope as they waited for Vonn to be evacuated.

Distressing scenes then followed, with Vonn, whose skis had not detached from her boots, seen wincing in pain as she lay on her back in the snow. The American was also heard crying out in agony as the medics placed her onto a stretcher.

The injury marks another chapter in a career defined by physical resilience, including three Olympic medals and 20 World Cup crystal globe titles over two decades.

In her 2010 Olympic campaign in Vancouver, Vonn secured the gold medal in the downhill, becoming the first American woman to achieve that specific milestone.

Vonn’s career statistics include 45 downhill wins and 28 super-G victories, making her one of the most decorated speed specialists in the history of alpine skiing.

She previously recovered from a complete ACL and MCL tear suffered during the 2013 World Championships in Schladming to return to the top of the podium later.

The current injury occurred during the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games, where Vonn became the oldest woman to ever compete in an Olympic alpine skiing competition.