Woods surfaces for AT&T National

BETHESDA, Md., July 1 (UPI) -- Tiger Woods returns to competition Thursday in the opening round of a tournament where he is the host -- the AT&T National.

It will be the ninth appearance of the year for Woods, who owns victories at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Memorial Tournament.

Woods is coming off a tie for sixth place at the U.S. Open and for the first two rounds at the Congressional Country Club this week, he will be paired with Open champion Lucas Glover. Defending AT&T champ Anthony Kim will also be in the field, looking for his first title since winning in Woods's absence last year.

Woods missed the 2008 event, as well as the entire second half of the season, while recovering from reconstructive knee surgery.

He will try for his first major championship since the surgery when he plays this month in the British Open at Turnberry in Scotland.

The last time Woods went an entire year without a major championship was 2004.