Tiger Woods' return to competitive golf has been delayed after he announced on Monday that he has withdrawn from this week's Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

Woods, 46, is also the host of the highly anticipated event, which features a small field consisting of 20 elite players, including world number two Scottie Scheffler, as well as major champions Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.

Arguably the greatest golfer of all time, Woods was scheduled to take part in three events in December, but the announcement of his foot injury on social media has put all three in jeopardy.

His statement says: "In my preparation and practice for this week's Hero World Challenge, I've developed plantar fasciitis in my right foot, which is making it difficult to walk.

"After consulting with my doctors and trainers, I have decided to withdraw this week and focus on my hosting duties.

"My plan is to still compete in The Match and PNC Championship."

Woods, who has not played competitively since failing to make the cut at The Masters in July, will not have long to recover.

He is scheduled to partner up with Rory McIlroy to take on the pair of Thomas and Spieth on December 10 for The Match, and just five days later he hopes to team up with his son, Charlie, in the PNC Championship.

With his withdrawal from the Hero World Challenge, Austria's Sepp Straka will take his place.

Rory McIlroy thinks he may have given Tiger Woods COVID-19 on the eve of the Open Championship after the pair played at a charity event beforehand.

The Northern Irishman, who claimed a third FedEx Cup this year, has forged a close bond over the years with the American, one strengthened by their shared views on the LIV Golf breakaway this season.

While several of their rivals warmed up at the Scottish Open for this year's Open, McIlroy and Woods played at a fundraising event hosted by JP McManus at Adare Manor.

Now, four-time major winner McIlroy has revealed he played at St Andrews while battling COVID-19 – and that he fears he gave it to Woods after the two dined together.

"I woke up feeling a bit achy but didn't really think anything of it," he told the Irish Independent. "[But] as I'm getting up from the table, I'm sore and stiff and super tired.

"I slept for maybe two hours, and the sweat was just pouring off me. Erica [McIlory's wife] took my temperature, and it was sky-high.

"[Tiger] texted me that night with chills and fever. I'm like 'f****** hell, I've just given Tiger COVID. This is horrendous!'. So we both had COVID going into the Open.

"The whole week of the Open, I didn't have any taste, and everything [was] like vinegar to me. Everything. It was really strange."

Woods went on to miss the cut at the Open, while McIlroy was edged out by Cameron Smith on the final day at St Andrews.

McIlroy did end the season on a high, topping the DP World Tour rankings and returning to number one in the world.

Dan Bradbury sealed a first DP World Tour victory in just his third professional start as he won the Joburg Open on Sunday.

The 23-year-old Englishman only recently joined the paid ranks and was participating after a sponsor's invitation, but he won by three shots on 21 under par to not only secure the trophy, but also a place at the Open Championship next year.

Bradbury went into the final round with a one-stroke lead but never showed any sign of letting up on Sunday at Houghton Golf Club, shooting a round of 67 with five birdies and just one bogey, coming on the final hole.

Finland's Sami Valimaki claimed second place on 18 under, one shot ahead of South Africans Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Daniel van Tonder, who tied for third.

Bradbury said after his win: "It won't sink in for a few days, I don't think. It's just a lot of pressure taken off your back, that's nice, but it hasn't sunk in yet and I don't think it will for a while."

He felt pressure from Valimaki on the back nine yet kept his focus, securing a two-year tour exemption as well as his Open ticket.

"But it was kind of the same thing all week, just keep playing my own game and I knew I was playing good enough," Bradbury said. "It turned out that way in the end."

By taking the top three spots, Bradbury, Valimaki and Bezuidenhout all qualified for the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool in July 2023, with Bezuidenhout claiming the final place ahead of Van Tonder thanks to his higher position in the world rankings.

Cameron Smith thought a third Australian PGA Championship would be beyond him after posting a final round of 68 to seal victory at the Royal Queensland Golf Club.

The home favourite, a two-time winner before in 2017 and 2018, finished 14 under par, with a three-shot lead over fellow Australian Jason Scrivener and Japan's Ryo Hisatsune.

Amid a closing day interrupted by lightning strikes across the course, Smith recovered from a slow start to post three birdies over the final seven holes and claim the trophy.

Though seldom off the pace across the weekend, the defending Open Championship winner says he was not sure if he would be in the conversation for victory before he teed off.

"I really didn't think I had it in me at the start of the week," he stated. "I was a bit scratchy [but] the game has got better and better as the week went on, other than the front nine today."

On the weather, he added: "You are in the mojo a little and for it to be stopped not once but twice was a little frustrating. But I just held on and played really solid those last eight holes."

Hisatsune was best in show on the final day with an impressive 65, a feat matched only by Australian Geoff Ogilvy and Englishman John Parry.

The latter's performance was enough to seal a joint-fourth-place finish overall, tied with Min Woo Lee on nine under par.

Adam Svensson played the weekend of his life to claim his maiden PGA Tour victory, fighting back from a one-over opening round to win the RSM Classic with a score of 19 under.

Canadian Svensson the competition on the Plantation Course at Sea Island Resort and struggled, but he found much more success on the Seaside Course following his opening round.

After posting a 64 on Friday, he followed that with the best round on Saturday, two strokes better than anybody else with his eight-under 62.

He continued that momentum on Sunday, going bogey-free with six birdies to equal the day's top round again, including back-to-back birdies on the 16th and 17th holes to turn a four-way tie atop the leaderboard into a two-stroke lead.

Svensson, 28, had not secured a top-10 finish on the PGA Tour until last season, collecting three, and with a par on the 18th hole he secured the first win of his career in his 70th start.

Speaking to the media after stepping off the final green, he was emotional as he reflected on his journey to this point.

"To be honest, it's not even real right now," he said. "I'm just so happy, I put so much work in. To win on the PGA Tour – it means everything to me.

"It's been an up-and-down journey, I've had lows, I've had highs, but I kept believing in myself, and here I am."

In a three-way tie for second was England's Callum Tarren, along with American duo Sahith Theegala and Brian Harman.

Recent winner of the Bermuda Championship, Seamus Power, was two further back at 15 under in a tie for fifth, and he was joined by a group that included 23-year-old Cole Hammer, who rode the opening-round lead to the best finish of his career.

Rory McIlroy declared he is "as complete a golfer as I've ever been" after finishing top of the season-ending DP World Tour rankings for the fourth time.

Jon Rahm secured his third DP World Tour Championship on Sunday, but a fourth-placed finish for McIlory gave the 33-year-old reason to celebrate at Dubai's Jumeirah Golf Estates.

McIlroy added the Harry Vardon Trophy, awarded to the DP World Tour's number one, to his FedExCup victory in 2022.

The Northern Irishman has enjoyed an impressive season, recording top-10 finishes at all four majors, while he did not drop below 12th place at any of his 10 DP World Tour events this term.

That consistency led McIlroy to suggest his golf is in the best place it has been in recent memory.

"I think one of the things I'm really proud of over the last few years is I don't feel I have to rely on one aspect of my game," McIlroy, a four-time major winner, told Sky Sports. "I think if my driving isn't there, then my putter bails me out.

"If my putter isn't there, my iron play bails me out. I feel like when you get to this level it's like, okay, how can you make those incremental improvements to get better?

"I think my goal has been to just become a more complete golfer and I feel like I'm on the journey to doing that.

"I'm as complete a golfer as I feel like I've ever been, and hopefully I can continue on that path."

Meanwhile, McIlroy's Ryder Cup team-mate Rahm reflected on a positive year of his own after collecting his third triumph of the season after winning at the Open de Espana and the Mexico Open.

"Hopefully people can stop telling me that it was a bad year," Rahm said.

"Three wins worldwide and three wins in three different continents. Yes, it wasn't a major championship but it's still a really, really good season."

An excellent final round of 67 saw Jon Rahm seal the third DP World Tour Championship of his career on Sunday.

The Spaniard finished on 20 under par, winning by two shots ahead of Tyrell Hatton and Alex Noren in Dubai and four ahead of Rory McIlroy, who had something to celebrate of his own with his fourth-place finish.

As a result, McIlroy ends the year as DP World Tour number one for a fourth time, winning the Harry Vardon Trophy.

Rahm looked to be in the mood to secure victory after recording birdies on each of the first three holes, only to bogey the fourth, leaving Noren breathing down his neck as the Swede also started brightly to go within one of the lead.

Things turned on the seventh hole though as Noren dropped a shot, before Rahm gained one to extend his advantage to three.

Hatton went on to set the clubhouse lead at 18 under, but Rahm did not drop another shot as he tidied up his round with further birdies at the 13th and 15th before confirming his win with a simple par on the 18th.

After his victory, Rahm said it was a "very" special one, adding: "Because of coronavirus I never got the chance to defend my 2019 title, even though I decided not to come last year I came in with the mentality [this year] that nobody beat me in the last two years, so they're gonna have to beat me again.

"I like this course and this course likes me, so I hope this is the third of many more."

McIlroy was equally pleased with his own award, with the world number one becoming just the second player in history to win the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup and the DP World Tour order of merit in the same season.

After his final round of 68, McIlroy said: "It means a lot, it's been seven years since I've last done it [finished top of European Tour rankings] and obviously this is my fourth one.

"I was a model of consistency through the year, a lot of top finishes, I think my worst finish was 12th in Abu Dhabi, so just a really consistent season, kept putting in good performances; it would have been nice to get one win in there at the end of the year here but Jon played an incredible tournament and fully deserved it."

Elsewhere, English pair Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick finished joint-fifth on 13 under, while Dane Rasmus Hoejgaard shot 67 to move up to joint-seventh with Pole Adrian Meronk on 11 under.

Patrick Rodgers and Ben Martin produced excellent third rounds to share the lead heading to the final day of the RSM Classic at St Simons Island in Georgia.

Rodgers and Martin carded rounds of 64 and 65 respectively as the tournament moved entirely to the par-70 Seaside Course, having been split between that and the par-72 Plantation Course on the opening two days.

After a bogey on the second hole on Saturday, Rodgers made seven birdies, including four in a row from the 13th to the 16th holes to move 14 places up a busy leaderboard from his starting position.

Rodgers, 30, has yet to claim a PGA Tour-level title and lost in a play-off on the second hole in the 2018 RSM Classic to Charles Howell III.

Martin, whose last and only PGA Tour title was in 2014, would have had the solo lead but bogeyed the par-four 18th hole, blemishing his six-birdie round which was bogey-free until that point.

The American pair of Rodgers and Martin reached 14 under overall, to lead by one from three players including Canadian Adam Svensson, who began at the 10th and enjoyed the round of the day, carding an eight-under 62 with six birdies on his back nine and an eagle on the par-five 15th hole.

Andrew Putnam, who had been in a three-way joint lead at the halfway mark, also stood at 13 under with Svensson and Sahith Theegala.

Seven players were a further stroke back at 12 under, including Brian Harman, Taylor Montgomery and Harry Higgs, the latter who had been alongside Putnam in the lead after two days and rallied during his third round after three bogeys in his opening five holes.

The other halfway leader, Cole Hammer, dropped down the leaderboard to a tie for 17th after a two-over 72 that included bogeys on the third and fourth holes, along with a double bogey on the fifth.

Through two rounds – one on each of Sea Island Resort's two courses – Cole Hammer, Andrew Putnam and Harry Higgs lead the RSM Classic field with a score of 12 under.

In a unique format, this tournament has half of the field play the par-70 Seaside Course and the other half play the par-72 Plantation Course in the first round, before swapping for the second round.

After earning the solo lead by shooting an eight-under 64 on Thursday's trip around the Plantation Course, Hammer still produced seven birdies on the Seaside Course, but three bogeys on the front-nine allowed others to join him at the top.

Both Higgs and Putnam shot rounds of seven under, albeit on different courses. Higgs went bogey-free for a 63 at the Seaside Course, and Putnam went bogey-free until his final hole, blowing a chance to head into the weekend with the outright lead.

Of the five players to shoot better than seven under on Friday, all five did it on the Plantation Course, including Joel Dahmen with his eight-under 64 to jump up to a tie for fourth at 11 under, where he is joined by Sahith Theegala.

The other eight-under rounds came from South Korea's Noh Seung-yul, tied for fourth at 10 under, as well as Ben Martin and Will Gordon, one further back at nine under.

The round of the day came from Akshay Bhatia, following his three-over 73 with a nine-under 63.

Some of the bigger names in the field will not be participating on the weekend as former world number one Jason Day missed the cut by three strokes, and former Masters champion Danny Willett withdrew after his three-over opening round.

The remaining two rounds will both be played at the Seaside Course.

Cole Hammer is the leader after the first round of the RSM Classic, enjoying his only round for the week at Sea Island Resort's Plantation course on Thursday to post an eight-under 64.

The RSM Classic utilizes two courses at Sea Island Resort – the par-72 Plantation course, and the par-70 Seaside course. Each competitor will get one round on each course before the cut heading into the weekend, with the final two rounds to be played on the Seaside course.

Starting on the back-nine, 23-year-old Hammer posted nine birdies and seven pars from his first 16 holes, before his first blemish came with a bogey on the 17th to finish alone atop the leaderboard at eight under.

In second place is Ben Griffin, who also played the Plantation course, going bogey-free for his seven-under 65.

Beau Hossler and Callum Taren are tied for third after shooting six-under 64s on the Seaside course, with that appearing as the harder of the two tracks. 

There is a logjam tied for sixth at five under, and of the 16 payers to shoot five under or better, only four – Hossler, Taren, Chris Gotterup and Andrew Putnam – did it on the Seaside course.

Rising talent Sahith Theegala and recent winner of the Bermuda Championship Seamus Power are one further back at four under, with Italy's Francesco Molinari and Canada's Taylor Pendrith at three under.

It was a tough day out for some of the field's biggest names, with former Masters champion Danny Willett struggling to three over on the Seaside course, while former world number one Jason Day had similar issues on his way to four over.

The shot of the day went to Webb Simpson, who took advantage of his only round this week at the Plantation course with an ace on the par-three third hole. 

Jon Rahm described Rory McIlroy taking a stand against the LIV Golf Invitational Series while still performing at the highest level as "remarkable" and discussed how joining the breakaway circuit may impact Sergio Garcia's legacy.

McIlroy claimed his third FedEx Cup in August and is hoping to cap a fine year by winning the DP World Tour Championship this week, but his off-course actions have been equally noteworthy.

The world number one has been a vocal critic of the controversial Saudi Arabia-backed LIV circuit, and called for the series' divisive chief executive Greg Norman to resign this week.

Speaking ahead of the tournament in Dubai, world number five Rahm hailed McIlroy's efforts to defend the PGA Tour this year. 

"It's great to see somebody with his platform take a stand as he did, whether you agree with it or not, he's taken a stand on what he believes in and that's it - I think it's great," Rahm said.

"He's had a lot of input. He's been on the board of the PGA Tour and tried to make a change.

"To be honest, with how long those meetings are and how much as players we talk to each other, to play as good as he has is pretty remarkable.

"In this profession, we are all basically CEOs of our own little golf company, and now he has invested in so much more. Again, the role he's had in both [on and off the course] is quite incredible."

Rahm's compatriot Garcia became one of the most high-profile players to resign his PGA Tour membership while switching to LIV Golf this year.

The 2021 U.S. Open champion hopes the legacy of his fellow Spaniard is not tarnished by that decision.

"I hope not, it's very unprecedented, what we've been dealing with in the game of golf and it hasn't even been that long," Rahm added.

"It could have somewhat of an impact. I have a hard time believing a lot of those [LIV] players are going to have a positive impact on their legacy right now.

"We don't know what's going to happen, but if it does [have an impact on Garcia's legacy], I hope it's not a big one, let's say it that way.

"He's done a lot for the game of golf, so it would be sad to see that change.

"There's certainly going to be a before and after at some point, and there's definitely some division going on.

"It still shouldn't change what he's done in the game; what he's done in the Ryder Cup, European Tour, PGA Tour, shouldn't be affected by where he decides to play golf, at least in my mind."

Meanwhile, LIV Golf has continued to push for the ability to award world rankings points, and while Rahm is not against that idea, he says the tour must meet the stated requirements.

"We need to stop giving LIV the publicity. They are not asking for it. That's the first thing I'm going to say," Rahm said.

"A lot of people are against them having World Ranking points. I'm not necessarily against it, but there should be adjustments. 

"If your requirement to have World Ranking points is 72 holes and a cut, maybe you don't award them 100 per cent of the points, since they are not fulfilling all the requirements. 

"I also believe it's probably a couple-year process, so they need to respect that as every other tour has. 

"They do have some incredible players. To say that Dustin [Johnson] wasn't one of the best players this year would be a mistake. So, I think they could be awarded. I don't know if they necessarily deserve 100 per cent."

Patrick Cover of the USA shot a final-round 70 to win the 55th Jamaica Open Jamaica Open Golf Championship at the Tryall Golf Club in Sandy Bay, Hanover on Tuesday.

Cover, the 2019 champion, won by four strokes ahead of Josh Anderson (USA) and 2021 champion Michael Maguire (USA) placing third, a further one stroke back. He led on all three days with scores of 64, 69 and 70 for an overall score of 13 under par 203.

"It’s great.  I love coming down to Jamaica.  I love this golf course and I plan to come back for as long as I can,” he said. “It’s a great tournament."

Cover said despite being the leader on all three days, winning the tournament proved to be challenging. "MJ (Michael Maguire) played extremely well. He made it really hard on me,” Cover said.

“I think he was eight under through 11 holes and I wasn't playing as good as I was the last two days but I was playing okay, but he erased that lead really quickly even through the first five holes that lead was almost already gone so it got more interesting.  I am just glad I finished it out.  (I) played pretty well coming in."

Anderson, meanwhile, had scores of 72, 70 and 65 for an overall total of 207.  Maguire shot 69, 71 and 68 (208) and was pleased with his play on the final day.

"I played great today.  Starting seven shots back, you never really expected…you want to play to win but in the back of your mind you’re thinking like maybe I'll play for second but once I turned at seven under I  knew I had a chance coming down the back nine. I had fun out there.  It was good to be in contention so it was a good day."

 Wesley Brown, who finished tied for 15th was the best placed Jamaican in the field after scores of 69, 77 and 73.

“Hugely disappointed. Knowing that I had it going, plus 13 on the back nine alone and that's not good playing professional golf.  I gave away a lot,” he lamented.

Jamaica's Justin Burrowes topped the amateurs with scores of 76, 70 and 73 for 219. He ended the tournament with a birdie putt. "That was a really good putt.  That was all my caddy honestly.  He just gave me a really good line and he has been giving me really good lines all week and I just hit a really good putt with really good speed and it went in so I give all the credit to my caddy for that one,” he said.  "Overall, I am pleased with my game.  I feel like there is something to build on and its always an honour to win so happy about that too."

Jamaican's Zandre Roye and William Knibbs were second and third respectively with scores of 222 (76, 74,72) and 226 (78, 76, 72), respectively.

 Dwayne Pearman (220), David Morland (226) and Danny King (230) were the top three among the Senior Professionals.

 Owen Samuda - 237 (76, 84, 77), and Dr. Mark Newnhan - 242 (80, 81, 81) while Robert Sterling of Canada was third - 253 (84, 85, 84) were the top three amateurs.

Rory McIlroy has called for Greg Norman to leave his role as chief executive of the LIV Golf Invitational Series to end the "stalemate" engulfing the sport.

World number one McIlroy has been one of the most prominent critics of the controversial Saudi Arabia-backed circuit, which is locked in legal cases against both the PGA and DP World Tours.

McIlroy called for LIV to do more to end the bitter feud between the circuits in September, declaring: "the ball is in their court".

However, Norman said he had "no interest" in sitting down for talks with the PGA that same month and McIlroy believes his presence is harming the sport.

"Greg needs to go. He needs to exit stage left," McIlroy said ahead of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

"He's made his mark, but I think now is the right time to say you've got this thing off the ground but no one's going to talk unless there's an adult in the room that can actually try to mend fences.

"There are obviously two lawsuits going on at the minute. There's the PGA Tour versus LIV and there's obviously this one that's coming up with the DP World Tour in February.

"Nothing can happen if those two things are going on. Right now, it is a bit of a stalemate."

The need to compete with LIV Golf has prompted the PGA Tour to increase prize funds for next year, leading Norman to suggest McIlroy and Tiger Woods – another critic of LIV Golf – should be "thankful" for what the breakaway circuit has brought to the game.

However, McIlroy believes everyone in golf should instead direct their gratitude towards 15-time major champion Woods.

"I've said this a million times, Tiger is the reason that we are playing for as much as we are playing for," McIlroy added. "Tiger is the reason that the stature of our game is where it is.

"The generation of Tiger and the generation coming after Tiger have all benefited from him and his achievements and what he's done for the game of golf.

"I don't think Tiger should be thankful to anyone for anything. I think everyone else in the game should be thankful."

The USA’s Patrick Cover stormed in an early lead at the end of Sunday’s first round of play at the 55 Jamaica Open Golf Tournament at the Tryall Golf Club in Sandy Bay, Hanover.

Tony Finau collected the third win from his past seven PGA Tour starts as he cruised to a convincing four-stroke triumph at the Houston Open on Sunday.

Finau's four-stroke lead was the same buffer he held coming into the final trip around Memorial Park Golf Course after posting rounds of 65, 62 and 68.

After winning back-to-back events in July at the 3M Open and the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Finau – who finished with a final-round score of 16 under – has now won more titles in his past seven starts than he did in his first 211 to begin his career (two).

Speaking to NBC after stepping off the final green, Finau admitted he was not comfortable in such an unfamiliar position with a giant lead.

"It feels great – honestly, on the first hole I didn't know if I had it in me today," he said. "It was one of those days where I just fought, and fought, and I made a lot of nice putts on the front-nine to calm me into things.

"I've never been in this position before, with that big of a lead with nine holes to play. A lot of new nerves, I would say, but overall as the round went on I felt better, and I'm just happy to get the 'W' today.

"I've always had belief, but the confidence when you win is contagious. I've always been a very hopeful person, I work extremely hard on my body and my game, and now I'm starting to bear the fruits of that labour. It feels amazing to have that be the case.

"You never know what's going to happen in this game, but you always try to put your best foot forward, that's what I've done over the years, and I'm starting to put together a pretty full-package game."

Alone in second place at 12 under was Tyson Alexander, who had never previously finished better than tied for 44th in his seven PGA Tour starts.

Ben Taylor was the only player at 11 under in third, and there was a further three-stroke gap to the rest of the field.

World number two Scottie Scheffler finished tied for ninth at six under for his second consecutive top-10 finish, while former world number one Jason Day was one further back.