ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Chris Kirk holed an 18-foot putt for eagle on his final hole for a 9-under 63 and a one-shot lead Thursday in the RSM Classic.

Kirk played the par 5s on the Plantation Course at Sea Island Golf Club in 5 under.

“I kind of hit my putter on the fringe a little bit and I wasn’t sure it was going to get there, but that was just kind of the day that it was,” Kirk said. “Even when I thought it wasn’t quite going to work out, it still went in the middle of the hole.”

The seven lowest scores of the opening round came on the Plantation Course during a picturesque afternoon on the Golden Isles. Sporting a University of Georgia hat Thursday, Kirk won at Sea Island four years ago for the second of his four PGA Tour victories.

“It’s a big Georgia territory out here on St. Simons,” Kirk said. “Hopefully, my hat will bring me some luck the rest of the week.”

The tournament is the final PGA Tour event of the calendar year, and Kirk is sorting out equipment changes.

“I’m still trying to get it all worked out and figure out what I want to do going forward,” Kirk said. “But keep shooting 9 under, so I won’t have to worry about it too much.”

Joel Dahmen had a 64.

“I think it played a little easier today,” Dahmen said. “The wind was down, greens were a little softer over here on the Plantation side. But just kept the ball in front of me and made a bunch of 8- to 10-footers.

“I’ve been rolling it pretty good,” Swafford said. “Took some time off, which was nice, after China. I was kind of frustrated with the golf a little bit. Took a little time off and got back into it. Something just kind of started clicking, but knew I don’t have to be crazy aggressive and just give myself a chance.”

Sea Island resident Hudson Swafford was at 65 with Jason Kokrak and Brian Gay.

Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., was at 67, Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., finished with a 68, David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., were 3 under and defending champion Mac Hughes of Dundas, Ont., shot an even-par 70.

“I feel like I’ve been rolling it pretty good,” Swafford said. “Took some time off, which was nice, after China. I was kind of frustrated with the golf a little bit. Took a little time off and got back into it. Something just kind of started clicking, but knew I don’t have to be crazy aggressive and just give myself a chance.”

He played alongside fellow former Georgia players Bubba Watson and Brian Harman.

“We are right in the heart of Dawgs’ territory, mine and Harman’s backyard, so it’s kind of nice,” Swafford said.

Though, his caddie wore an Auburn shirt.

“We don’t need to talk about that,” said Swafford, not needing to be reminded that Auburn beat Georgia in football last week.

Nick Watney and Brice Garnett each had a 5-under 65 on the Seaside Course, which will be used for the final two rounds.

Harman shot 69, and Watson had a 71.

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – Patton Kizzire won his first PGA Tour title on Sunday by beating Rickie Fowler in a 36-hole marathon in the rain-plagued OHL Classic at Mayakoba.

Kizzire closed with rounds of 66-67 for a one-shot victory over Fowler, who fell four shots behind at El Camaleon Golf Club until staging a late rally that again fell short. Fowler had rounds of 67-67 on the final day.

Kizzire won in his 62nd career start on the PGA Tour, and it required some steady nerves on the back nine when it could have gotten away from him. Leading by four shots with seven holes to play, Kizzire saved par with an 8-foot putt on No. 12, a 10-foot putt on the par-5 13th and an 8-foot putt on the 14th.

He had a three-shot lead with three holes to play when Fowler made a 15-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole and rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to close within one shot. But from the 18th fairway, Fowler sent his approach some 35 feet left of the flag and left the birdie attempt short.

Kizzire had to stand close to his approach shot to keep his feet out the sand, and he hit 8-iron to 25 feet. After Fowler left his birdie attempt well short, Kizzire rapped his putt to within a few inches and tapped in for the winning par.

“I was glad to get it done,” Kizzire said. “Rickie made me work hard.”

Kizzire finished at 19-under 265 and earned his first trip to the Masters in April.

The 31-year-old Kizzire also gets a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour and a spot in the field at the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua to start next year, and the PGA Championship, along with other select events on tour.

Si Woo Kim tried to get into the mix until a double bogey in the middle of his back nine. He still closed with a 65 to finish third, his best finish since he won The Players Championship in May. Charles Howell III (66) and Martin Piller (65) finished five shots behind. John Oda of UNLV, playing his first PGA Tour event as a pro, closed with a 70 to finish eighth. That gets him into the RSM Classic next week at Sea Island.

Patrick Rodgers began Sunday in a three-way tie for the lead with Kizzire and Fowler, but he started and ended the third round Sunday morning with a double bogey for a 72 that took him out of contention, and he shot 70 in the afternoon to finish nine shots behind. Corey Conners (72) of Listowel, Ont., finished the event 2 over.

Kizzire won the tournament with key putts on the back nine, but the tournament turned in his favour at the end of the third round. Fowler had a one-shot lead when he made bogey on the 17th hole and Kizzire made birdie. That two-shot swing gave Kizzire a one-shot lead, and he quickly expanded it in the fourth round.

Kizzire saved par with a 10-foot putt on No. 1 as Fowler made bogey, and then Kizzire birdied the second hole and is lead was already at three shots.

Fowler never got any closer until the final few holes, and by then it was too late.

“We gave it a run, kept Patton honest, but he earned it out there today,” Fowler said.

Fowler, the only player in the top 10 in the world who played anywhere in the world this week, was playing for the first time since the Presidents Cup five weeks ago. With his runner-up finish – the 12th time in his PGA Tour career he has finished second – Fowler goes to No. 7 in the world ahead of Rory McIlroy.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., was the lone Canadian to make the weekend – the Team Canada Young Pro Squad member finished at 2 over par.

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – Rickie Fowler saved par from a bunker on his final hole for a 4-under 67 and a three-way share of the lead after 36 holes of the rain-delayed OHL Classic at Mayakoba.

Patrick Rodgers made his first bogey of the tournament on his 35th hole Saturday at El Camaleon Golf Club. He wound up with a 65 and was tied for the lead with Fowler and Patton Kizzire, who finished his 70 on Friday.

They were at 10-under 132. The second round, delayed by rain Friday, did not resume until 1 p.m. because of more bad weather.

John Oda, in his first start as a pro, shot 65 and was among those one shot behind.

Corey Conners (71) of Listowel, Ont., was the only Canadian to make the third round. Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Mac Hughes of Dundas, Ont., missed the cut.

Fowler is playing for the first time since the Presidents Cup on Oct. 1.

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – Patrick Rodgers kept making birdies until his name was atop the leaderboard and it was too dark to play any longer Friday.

Rodgers, a former Jack Nicklaus Award winner as the top player in college, ran off four straight birdies on the back nine and reached 11-under par until the storm-delayed OHL Classic at Mayakoba was suspended by darkness.

Rodgers hit his tee shot on the par-5 seventh hole, one of the three holes he will have to complete Saturday morning.

Rickie Fowler, playing for the first time since the Presidents Cup, was at 10 under with three holes left. The second round was halted for 2 hours, 15 minutes.

Patton Kizzire, the 18-hole leader after a 62, overcame the wind and the rain – at times both – and a double bogey on his 10th hole. He made three straight birdies for a 1-under 70 and finished 36 holes at 10-under 132.

Brian Gay and Brandon Harkins, the 31-year-old rookie from northern California, were at 9-under 133.

Martin Piller was at 8 under and still had nine holes to play.

Rodgers, who was 7 under for his round when play was stopped, is one of the few players from the fabled high school class of 2011 who is still looking for his first PGA Tour victory. He grew up in juniorgolf with fellow class members Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger, Emiliano Grillo and Xander Schauffele.

Rodgers, who grew up outside Indianapolis and starred at Stanford, has yet to make a bogey at El Camaleon in 33 holes.

For all the attention on the youth movement golf, Harkins is a different kind of rookie. He has toiled on the smaller tours, particularly in Canada on the Mackenzie Tour, to finally earn his card. He began his rookie season with a tie for ninth at the Safeway Open.

He finished up the second round of the OHL Classic with his name on the leaderboard, though it wasn’t quite the finish he had in mind. Starting on the 13th hole, Harkins alternated making birdies and bogeys until he drove into a fairway bunker on the 18th, didn’t get on the green and failed to get up-and-down.

“Definitely exciting,” he said of his name on the board. “But to be honest, I didn’t really watch any board. Wasn’t quite the finish I was looking for, trading birdies and bogeys like that, but I really can’t complain in the wind like this.”

Kizzire also had to lean on patience in the tough weather.

“I had a few hiccups out there, but with the wind and the rain – and with the wind and rain together – it was tough,” Kizzire said. “And the stop and start was tough. But I hung in there, made a few birdies there toward the end of my round and then survived that really tough rain that we had there at the end.”

Oscar Frausto had a 66 and at 7-under 135 had the low score among the five Mexican players in the field. Roberto Diaz, who also competed in the World Golf Championship in Mexico City earlier this year, had a 65 and was another shot behind.

Beau Hossler, who had a chance to win last week in Las Vegas, shot 66 to reach 6-under 136.

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – Patton Kizzire carried some momentum from last week in Las Vegas by running off six straight birdies in the middle of his round Thursday for a career-low 9-under 62 and a two-shot lead in the OHL Classic at Mayakoba.

Rickie Fowler, playing for the first time since the Presidents Cup on Oct. 1, showed little rust in opening with a 65.

Kizzire closed with a 64 last Sunday in Las Vegas to tie for fourth, his best finish in more than a year in his bid to finally win on the PGA Tour. Playing in the first group out at El Camaleon Golf Club, he finished the front nine with two birdies and started with back nine with four in a row.

His only bogey came on the 18th hole when he drove into a bunker.

“I’ve been playing well recently, and really all year. Just getting everything to click in the same day is the key,” Kizzire said. “Hit the ball well and then seem to not putt well, and then I’ll put well and seem to not hit it well. But today, I put it all together.”

His previous low score was a 63 in the final round in Las Vegas a year ago.

Vaughn Taylor played bogey-free for a 64.

Brandon Harkins, a 31-year-old PGA Tour rookie, joined Fowler at 65, while two-time Retief Goosen was in the group at 66.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., shot 3 under. Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., shot 1 under and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., shot an even 71.

Kizzire had a two-shot lead with seven holes to play in the Safeway Open a year ago until finishing one shot behind Brendan Steele. He never had a serious chance at winning in Las Vegas, even though he wound up one shot out of a playoff. Still, he brought his game south of the border.

“There’s definitely a lot of carryover,” he said. “I had a few nice rounds in Vegas, and a good Sunday to move up pretty good. That always gives you confidence. Seeing the results gives you confidence. You try to build your confidence without the results and it’s tough, but whenever you see the birdies go in, it’s pretty good.”

Defending champion Pat Perez opened with a 67. He was No. 271 in the world when he arrived at Mayakoba for his third event since shoulder surgery. He returned at No. 18 in the world.

The group at 67 also included Anirban Lahiri, Si Woo Kim and Carlos Ortiz, who had the low score among the five Mexican players in the field.

Sean Jacklin, the grandson of British Open and U.S. Open champion Tony Jacklin, qualified Monday and shot 71 in his first PGA Tour event. Cameron Champ, the Californian who was two shots behind going into the weekend at the U.S. Open this year, made his pro debut with a 75.

Fowler has never played the OHL Classic and entered this year as part of the PGA Tour’s “strength of tour” policy that requires anyone with fewer than 25 events to play a tournament they had not been to in the last four years.

Fowler took five weeks off, playing only a few casual rounds with friends, before heading down to this Mexican resort over the weekend. He still didn’t touch a club until Tuesday, but it hardly showed during the calmer morning conditions.

“I made a couple good up-and-downs on the first five or six holes to kind of keep the round going and move in the right direction,” Fowler said. “Short game, touch and feel is a big thing coming off … we’ve had roughly a month off. So when the feel is somewhat there, it frees you up to know that you can get away with some missed shots and it allows you to swing a bit freer.”

LAS VEGAS – Patrick Cantlay won the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open on Sunday in a playoff for the first victory in a PGA Tour career mostly derailed by a severe back injury.

The 25-year-old former UCLA star hit from behind a tree and got up-and-down for par from off the back of the 18th green to beat Alex Cejka and Whee Kim on the second extra hole.

“I knew that I’d be able to get to where I wanted to be if I felt healthy,” Cantlay said. “If I felt like I didn’t have pain and I could practice and prepare for tournaments. I know how to practice and prepare for tournaments, so I can do what I want. I feel like I can play well and compete with anybody.”

Cantlay bogeyed the final two holes of regulation for a 5-under 67 to get in at 9-under 275 at windy TPC Summerlin. Cejka shot a 63 more than two hours before Cantlay and Kim – playing together in the third-to-last group – finished the round.

The three played the 456-yard, par-4 18th twice in the playoff, matching bogeys the first time. On the second extra hole, Cantlay escaped the trees in the right rough, hitting a 4-iron from 185 yards.

“I felt like as long as I kept it below the tree branch that was in front of me and cut it enough, I felt like it would go in a pretty decent spot,” Cantlay said. “I maybe didn’t cut it as much as I wanted to. I think the rough stopped it from being able to spin and get any cut on it, but it ended up in a good spot. It was a good shot.”

Kim bogeyed 18 in regulation for a 66, then went bogey-double bogey on the hole in the playoff.

“It was brutally tough,” Kim said. “The wind is blowing, and it’s really tough.”

Cejka birdied the final four holes in regulation for a back-nine 30.

“It was looking very slim, and then the wind picked up,” Cejka said about the getting in the playoff. “Luckily, the guys were dropping shots and I had the chance. But, you know, it’s a tough hole here. You’ve got to win with a par. I made two bogeys in the playoff, so that’s a little bit disappointing.”

The 46-year-old Czech-born German lives in Las Vegas.

“It’s tough to play at home,” Cejka said. “There is a lot of pressure, and people expect good things from you.”

Cantlay broke through to win after a remarkable return last season from the back problems. Out of golf since 2013, he didn’t miss a cut and made it to the Tour Championship while playing only 12 events. Part of that was due to an ankle injury that slowed him for two months.

“There’s not a lot of give up in me,” Cantlay said. “I never really thought about giving it up. I thought maybe there was a chance my back would never feel good enough to play again. But, fortunately, I feel great. I have a good program. I figured out a way to feel good all the time. It’s all good. I’m happy to be playing.”

Cantlay didn’t decide to enter Las Vegas a week ago Friday when he was at the HSBC Champions in Shanghai. He earned $1,224,000, a two-year exemption and moved into the top 50 in world.

“Goals for the rest of the season, definitely majors,” Cantlay said. “It will be nice to be into all of those, and making it all the way to the FedEx final and playing well in those events, those are big. First time playing last year, and really realized the gravity of them, and would like to do well and compete there, too.”

Cantlay birdied Nos. 11-14 before the sloppy finish in the difficult conditions.

“The last four, with the wind kicking up, that wind in and off the left on 18 makes that hole particularly difficult, and I was just trying to hit quality shots all the way to the end,” Cantlay said. “The finish did not happen how I thought it would, but it was just enough.”

Patton Kizzire (64), J.T. Poston (66) and Chesson Hadley (68) finished a stroke out of the playoff. Hadley bogeyed the 18th in the second-to-last group.

Nick Taylor (68) of Abbotsford, B.C., was the low Canadian at 2 under and tied for 32nd. Ben Silverman (66) of Thornhill, Ont., finished the event even and Corey Conners (74) of Listowel, Ont., was 5 over.

Beau Hossler, tied for the third-round lead with J.J. Spaun, had a 73 to drop into a tie for seventh at 7 under with Bryson DeChambeau (67) and Tom Hoge (69).

Spaun played the final four holes in 5 over for a 74. He bogeyed the 15th and closed with two double bogeys to drop into a tie for 10th at 6 under.

LAS VEGAS – Beau Hossler and J.J. Spaun shared the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open lead Saturday after another breezy day at TPC Summerlin.

The 22-year-old Hossler birdied the par-4 15th and 18th holes for a bogey-free 5-under 66 – the best round of the day in the difficult conditions.

“It was one of those days you couldn’t get ahead of yourself at all,” Hossler said. “As soon as you do that, you get yourself in trouble. I just tried to keep the ball on the fairway and keep it below the hole as much as possible and manage my game. To get out of there bogey-free is kind of a miracle, to be honest.”

The 27-year-old Spaun, the leader after the completion of the second round in the morning, bogeyed the par-3 17th and saved par with a 10-footer on the 18th for a 73.

“I just was trying to get comfortable out there,” Spaun said. “I was really uncomfortable considering the conditions and the position I was in. But, yeah, I kind of kept things together. Those last five holes were pretty brutal. So, to not really give too many shots back on those holes, it’s not so bad as it looks.”

Hossler and Spaun, both winless on the PGA Tour, were at 9-under 204 – the highest leading third-round total by six strokes since the tournament went to one course in 2008.

Tony Finau was three strokes back after a 69. Tom Hoge (67), Gary Woodland (68), Chesson Hadley (69) and Patrick Cantlay (70) were 5 under.

“It was tough, but you’ve got to control your ball flight,” Finau said. “The balls are flying all over the place, but mentally you’ve just got to try to stay in it and take one shot at a time.”

Hossler got used to playing in the wind at the University of Texas.

“That was part of the reason why I went to Texas,” Hossler said. “Coming from Southern California you’re kind of in a bubble with perfect weather and no wind. So I was really struggling with that. When I go to school, playing in this kind of wind fairly regularly, not all the time. Certainly there were some windy days in Texas. So that experience has really helped me. I feel like I can control my ball in the wind a little bit better. Also, underrated. It’s sneaky hard to putt when it’s windy.”

Hossler tied for 10th last week in Mississippi for his first top-10 in 14 starts.

Spaun bogeyed three of the first five holes and had his lone birdies on Nos. 10 and 13.

“That’s all I could ever want is to have a chance on Sunday,” Spaun said. “I’m looking forward to it. I know it’s not going to be easy. But whatever happens, happens. It’s definitely a learning experience. Hopefully, I get it done.”

Spaun is making his 35th career PGA Tour start. He finished 97th last season as a rookie in the FedExCup.

Nick Taylor (74) of Abbotsford, B.C., is the low Canadian at 1 over. Corey Conners (74) of Listowel, Ont., is 2 over and Ben Silverman (76) of Thornhill, Ont., is 5 over.

LAS VEGAS – J.J. Spaun shot a 6-under 65 on Friday at breezy TPC Summerlin to take the lead in the suspended second round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

Spaun rebounded from a bogey on the par-4 third with birdies on the par-4 fourth and par-3 fifth and closed with a birdie on the par-5 ninth to get to 11-under 131.

“I think we were just real deliberate on our numbers out there,” Spaun said. “It’s super swirly, windy. … Out here you’ve got so many undulations around the greens and you’ve got tight hazards next to the pins and the greens, so it’s crucial to get the right number, and we did that well today. That kind of set us up for having a bunch of looks out there.”

Kelly Kraft was second at 8 under with three holes left when play was suspended for the day because of darkness. He had a hole-in-one on par-3 fifth, using a 6-iron on the 174-yard hole.

Spaun is making his third start of the season after finishing 97th in the FedEx Cup standings. He missed the cut in the opener at Silverado and tied for 34th last week in Mississippi.

“I’m putting well, I’m hitting it well, I’m just trying to play simple golf,” Spaun said. “I know it’s not going to be easy on the weekend, but just trying to keep things in perspective and stay within myself and give myself a shot on Sunday.”

Robert Garrigus was four strokes back at 7 under after a 65.

“I really didn’t swing it as good as I wanted to off the tee,” Garrigus said. “I was hitting some squirrelly shots, but the putter worked really well today, which can cure a lot of things.”

Aaron Baddeley and Patton Kizzire each shot 66 to get to 6 under, and first-round leader Whee Kim was 5 under after a 72.

“It was windy today,” Baddeley said. “There were a couple holes there where it was like a two- or three-club wind, which is really unusual here in Vegas. But it’s just nice because it really brings out the good ball-hitters and also the people who can be patient in this type of weather.”

Charley Hoffman was 3 under after a 71 in his hometown event.

Nick Taylor is the top Canadian at 2 under after a second-round 71. Corey Conners shot 71 and is 1 under while David Hearn shot 73 and is 2 over. Ben Silverman is 1 under through 14 holes.

Bubba Watson was in position to make the cut on the number at 1 over in his first event of season, shooting 72-71. Defending champion Rod Pampling also was 1 over after a 73.

LAS VEGAS – Kim Meen-Whee birdied two of his final three holes for a 6-under 65 and a one-stroke lead Friday in the PGA Tour’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

The 25-year-old South Korean player birdied all three par-5 holes at TPC Summerlin, Nos. 13 and 16 on his first nine and No. 9 on his second nine.

“I had a really good putting all day,” Kim said. “Didn’t miss any putts. I think I didn’t do any stupid mistakes all day. I think that was key. The greens were a little slower than what I expected like the last two years. But it was still fast and firm.”

John Huh was at 66 with J.J. Spaun, Ryan Blaum and Alex Cejka. Jimmy Stanger also was 5 under with three holes left when play was suspended because of darkness.

Kim was fourth two weeks ago in South Korea in the PGA Tour’s CJ Cup.

“It’s a nice start. I feel more comfortable,” Kim said. “I played really good and my fans were really happy. … Yeah, it’s nice. I think I’m in a really good position on Thursday right here in Las Vegas. I feel really comfortable. Just happy.

Huh birdied four of his last six holes and had only 24 putts.

“Any time you putt under 30, I think it’s a good round,” Huh said. “That’s the key that I was able to shoot 5-under par today.

Spaun rebounded from consecutive bogeys to birdie three of the last four.

“I feel like it’s more not trying to press so early on in a tournament,” Spaun said. “You feel like as a rookie you’ve got to come out guns blazing, and you’ve got to tear it up right away. Fortunately, today I kind of did that, but I wasn’t forcing it. It was just kind of staying patient.”

Blaum hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation.

“The iron play was solid,” Blaum said. “I put a new driver in the bag this week and it was working well off the tee. Even when I was missing the fairway, I was only a few feet off and had a good look at the hole location, whatever it was. I was missing it on the right side.”

Ben Silverman is the top Canadian after a 2-under 69, while David Hearn is even. Nick Taylor and Corey Conners were unable to finish their round. Taylor is 1 under through 17 and Conners is even through 15.

Billy Horschel was two strokes back at 67 along with Bryson DeChambeau, Jason Kokrak, Daniel Summerhays, Peter Malnati, Kevin Chappell, Kelly Kraft, Patrick Cantlay and Brett Stegmaier.

Horschel is coming off a seven-week break.

“I’ve worked really hard on my game,” Horschel said. “Todd Anderson and I have done some really good work. You’re always a little apprehensive coming out to your first event, and also on top of the work, seeing how is it going to translate over from practicing. It’s been really nice all week. Is it exactly where I want? No. But it’s a lot better than it’s been for the last year and a half.”

Charley Hoffman opened his hometown event with a 68. He eagled the par-4 15th after driving to 6 feet.

“I was able to make the putt,” Hoffman said. “That was nice to get the round going.”

Ryan Armour, the winner Sunday in Mississippi for his first PGA Tour title, also had a 68.

Defending champion Rod Pampling opened with a 70.

Bubba Watson had a 72 in his first round of the season.

Play it again, Tiger Woods.

For the second straight year, Woods will return from back surgery at his holiday tournament in the Bahamas the week after Thanksgiving.

Woods has not played since he withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic on Feb. 3 with back spasms. Two months later, he had his fourth back surgery in just over two years.

Woods will be part of the 18-man field at the Hero World Challenge, which starts Nov. 30 at Albany Golf Club. While sponsor exemptions are limited to the top 50 in the world, Woods is exempt as the tournament host.

His latest procedure was a fusion surgery — the previous three were microdiscectomy surgeries — and Woods reported instant relief. He also said just one month ago at the Presidents Cup that he had no idea what his future held.

Doctors gave him clearance to practice without limitations about a week later, and Woods had been posting video on Twitter of a full swing with an iron, a driver and then his signature stinger shot with the driver.

“I am excited to return to competitive golf at the Hero World Challenge,” Woods said in a story on his website. “Albany is the perfect setting and it will be great to join this outstanding field.”

The tournament has no cut.

A year ago, Woods returned after 15 months recovering from two back surgeries. He made 24 birdies, but finished 15th out of 18 players. The tournament is not official on any tour, although it does award world ranking points.

He made his first PGA Tour start at Torrey Pines and missed the cut, and then went to Dubai and didn’t make it past the first round before his back began acting up.

Woods made the announcement just three days after he pleaded guilty to reckless driving in a deal that allows him to avoid jail time if he doesn’t violate terms of his probation.

The deal stems from a Memorial Day arrest on a DUI charge when Woods was found asleep at the wheel of his car, which was still running and parked at an awkward angle about 15 minutes from his home in Florida.

Woods attributed it to a bad combination of prescription medicine.

According to a toxicology report, Woods had the active ingredient for marijuana, two painkillers, the sleep drug Ambien and the anti-anxiety drug Xanax in his system.

He completed a drug treatment program in July.

Woods has 79 PGA Tour victories and 14 majors, both second all-time, though he has not won since the Bridgestone Invitational in August 2013 for his record 18th World Golf Championships title.