Bettors are loading up on Tiger Woods to win this week's Hero World Challenge

There was a saying back at one of my old employers that Tiger Woods didn’t move the needle in golf, he was the needle. The same has certainly held true in the betting world, as almost no matter the price, bettors have been backing Woods to win golf tournaments — and it’s happening again at this week’s Hero Challenge in the Bahamas.

For those unfamiliar with the event, the Hero World Challenge takes place in Nassau, Bahamas every year and is a non-official event that brings 20 of the PGA Tour’s best players together. It will be the first time the Woods, the tournament host, will tee it up since he withdrew in the third-round of this year’s Masters.

Woods opened with 40-1 odds last week at BetMGM sportsbooks, and was the most-bet golfer by number of bets. That has continued this week, as Woods — despite his odds lengthening from 40-1 to 66-1 — still has 16.2 percent of all bets, nearly twice as many as any other golfer in the field.

Woods is BetMGM’s biggest liability to win the tournament, followed by Cameron Young (18-1) and Viktor Hovland (+400). Hovland is the favorite to win, slightly ahead of Rickie Fowler (+450).

When asked on Tuesday if he felt he could still win, Woods told the media, “Absolutely.”