Tiger Woods confirms he will return in own event

Tiger Woods will face a strong field on his return. Picture: Patrick Semansky/AP

Woods, 40, has been missing from the course since undergoing two back operations last September.

The 14-time major winner now intends to take part in the event he hosts and has won on five occasions, telling www.pgatour.com: “I am excited to make my return at the Hero World Challenge at Albany and play in this  terrific tournament.”

He will line up in a strong 18-man field that includes Scotland’s Russell Knox and defending champion Bubba Watson. Woods has not competed since last August, in the Wyndham Championship, a month after which he underwent a microdiscectomy.

A second clear-up procedure followed in October and a planned return to action in “early 2016” was soon revised.

In September he announced plans to tee up at the following month’s Safeway Open and the European Tour’s Turkish Airlines Open this week.

He later shelved those plans, declaring himself physically healthy but suffering from a game that was “vulnerable and not where it needs to be”.

Knox, meanwhile, has four more events planned for 2016. He is having this week off before returning to action in next week’s OHL Classic at Mayakoba.

The world No 19 then heads to Australia for the World Cup in Melbourne, where he is joining forces with Duncan Stewart.

The Hero World Challenge is on 1-4 December and Knox will then bring his year to a close at the Franklin Templeton Shootout in Florida.