Woods set to compete at his event in Bahamas

NASSAU: Tiger Woods made it official by announcing he would return to competition as part of the 20-man field at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. Woods is the tournament host of the unofficial event on December 1-4 at Albany Golf Club, where the tournament has been played since 2015.

It will be the first time Woods has played the Hero World Challenge, which benefits his foundation, since 2019.

Woods, who announced his decision on Twitter on Wednesday, has not played competitively since he missed the cut in the British Open at St Andrews in July.

That was only the third tournament he played in 2022, all of them majors. He made the cut at the Masters and PGA Championship, finishing 47th at Augusta National and withdrawing after three rounds at Southern Hills.

The Hero World Challenge is the start of a busy month for Woods, who also has agreed to play in a made-for-tv exhibition on December 10 with Rory Mcilroy as his partner in a 12-hole match against Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.

Woods also is expected to play in the PNC Championship a week later with his son, Charlie. They were runners-up a year ago in Orlando, Florida.

The 20-man field in the Bahamas receives world ranking points, with the caveat that sponsor exemptions must be among the top 50 in the world. There is an exception for the tournament host — Woods is at No 1245.