Fourteen-time major winner Tiger Woods has confirmed he will play in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic held at Emirates Golf Club from February 2-5.
Woods, a two-time winner in Dubai, last played the event in 2014 – finishing in 41st place.
The 41-year-old will face a series of stellar names at the Majlis Course, including world No. 2 Rory McIlroy, 2016 Race to Dubai winner Henrik Stenson and last year’s Desert Classic champion Danny Willett.
Woods said: “I’ve always enjoyed playing in Dubai and it’s fantastic to see how the city has grown phenomenally from when I first started playing there.”
“It was great winning in Dubai in 2006 and 2008. When you win in Dubai, you know you’ve beaten an outstanding field. The support from the fans is also just wonderful,” said Woods, who boasts 14 Major victories and 79 PGA Tour wins, making him one of the most dominant players in the history of golf.”
“I still remember making that long putt on the 18th. That was nice. Also, I remember I shot three straight 64s, but only two of them were counted because one was in the pro am. That was the year (2001) when I finished runner-up to Thomas (Bjorn),” he added.
Following a 16-month absence from competitive golf, Woods returned to action in November, finishing 15th at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.
It’s been more than three years since he last won a tournament, that victory coming at the 2013 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio.
But with the new season teeing off this month, Woods will be looking to make a positive start to 2017 at Torrey Pines on January 26-29 before flying to Dubai for the Desert Classic.