Steve DiMeglio

USA TODAY Sports

Tiger Woods announced Tuesday he will return to competitive golf next month in a tournament he hosts.

Woods, who hasn’t played since finishing in a tie for 10th in the Wyndham Championship in August 2015, said he will play Dec. 1-4 in the Hero World Challenge at Albany in the Bahamas.

The tournament, which benefits Woods’ foundation, will draw a field of 18, including defending champion Bubba Watson, reigning U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson, British Open champion Henrik Stenson, PGA champ Jimmy Walker, Olympic gold medalist Justin Rose, two-time major winners Jordan Spieth and Zach Johnson and Ryder Cup hero Patrick Reed.

“I am excited to make my return at the Hero World Challenge at Albany and play in this terrific tournament,” Woods said in a press release from the event.

Woods last played in the tournament in 2014.

He was expected to play three weeks ago in the Safeway Open, the PGA Tour’s 2016-17 season opener. But three days before the tournament was to start — and just three days after he committed to the tournament — Woods withdrew. He also withdrew that day from the Turkish Airlines Open on the European Tour, which is being played this week.

Woods said his troublesome back — he’s had three surgeries on it since March 2014 — was not the problem. However, he said his game was not ready to face the best players in the world and was “vulnerable.”

Agent calls talk about Tiger Woods' chipping 'nonsense'

The 14-time major champion, who was No. 1 in the world for a record 683 weeks but is now No. 831, said he had lost feel for scoring during the Ryder Cup, where he served as an assistant captain in the USA’s win against Europe.

“He’s just been getting some holes in, which is what held him back,” said Mark Steinberg, Woods’ agent, who talks daily with the winner of 79 Tour titles. “He’s getting out more, playing a lot more holes.”

Steinberg said Woods, 40, has told him he’s working on all facets of his game, trying to get his scoring down.

“I know there have been comments about his chipping again, that that’s what is keeping him from coming back,” Steinberg said. “That’s nonsense.”

Longtime friend, former PGA Tour player and current Golf Channel analyst Notah Begay said Woods hasn’t relayed in their nearly daily phone calls any drastic improvements in his game. Instead, there’s just been steady improvement.

“The one thing he’s really excited about is that he’s able to practice hard and work on his game every day,” Begay said. “And he really misses the competition, being out there playing against the best.”

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