Tiger Woods will play golf again, set to return to competition at Hero World Challenge

Tiger Woods announced on Monday that he will return to competitive golf at the upcoming Hero World Challenge on Nov. 30-Dec. 3.

Woods joked during his Twitter announcement that he'd like to "thank the committee of 1" for receiving one of the two sponsor's exemptions into the 18-player tournament for which he has served as the host.

The 14-time major champion hasn't competed professionally since withdrawing after the first round of the Dubai Desert Classic in February due to a back injury. The 41-year-old underwent a fourth back surgery one month later.

"I am excited to return to competitive golf at the Hero World Challenge," Woods said in a statement. "Albany is the perfect setting and it will be great to join this outstanding field."

Woods was medically cleared to resume golf activities, his agent told ESPN on Oct. 16. Woods received the go-ahead to resume swinging a club at the end of August, although it was restricted to hitting balls with a pitching wedge at the time.

That came just 2 1/2 weeks after toxicology reports revealed that Woods had five drugs in his system when he was arrested for driving under the influence near his home in Florida on Memorial Day.

Woods was arrested around 2 a.m. on May 29 when officers found him unconscious in his Mercedes-Benz about 15 miles from his home in Jupiter, Fla. The car was awkwardly parked on the side of the road and the driver's side of the vehicle was damaged.

He told officers he was taking the painkiller Vicodin and the anxiety medicine Xanax to deal with pain from April back surgery.

Woods attempted a comeback earlier this year after a 17-month absence, and it didn't go well. He missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January.

Woods held out hope he could play in the Masters in early April but eventually announced he was unable to play.

He originally underwent microdiscectomy surgery to remove a fragment that was causing a pinched nerve in the spring of 2014. He later underwent another microdiscectomy surgery in September 2015 and a follow-up procedure the following month.