England's Aaron Rai will replace Justin Thomas in next month's Hero World Challenge field.

Thomas will miss the start of the 2026 season after announcing last week that he had undergone microdiscectomy surgery on his back. No timetable has been announced yet for his return to competition.

Rai is up to No. 23 in the Official World Golf Ranking after winning the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship two weeks ago before finishing 41st at the DP World Tour Championship on Sunday. He also tied for third at the BMW Championship.

Rai posted 10 top-25 finishes in 21 events on the PGA Tour this season. This will be the second time he has played in the Dec. 4-7 event at the Albany Golf Course in the Bahamas hosted by Tiger Woods, having tied for 14th in the 20-player field last year.

2026 HERO WORLD CHAL

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