Tiger Woods finally returns next week

After more than a year on the sidelines, Tiger Woods has confirmed he will play in the season-opening Safeway Open in California next week.

The 14-time major champion has been out of action since August 2015 due to a lengthy recovery process following two back surgeries.

Woods, now 40, is ranked 767th in the world.

Last month, he confirmed that he was eyeing the Safeway Open as his possible return tournament, depending on his progress and recovery, and all appears to have gone according to plan since then.

Woods already got a little bit closer to the action at last week's Ryder Cup, where he served as a vice-captain in the USA's victorious campaign at Hazeltine.

Sweden's Jesper Parnevik, who has been practising with Woods, was quoted in Golf Digest as saying that he was "hitting it great" and "flushing everything".

Woods also said in September that he hopes to play in both the Turkish Airlines Open in November and the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in December.

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