Tiger Woods Commits to Play in 2017 Genesis Open: Latest Comments, Reaction

Tiger Woods announced Tuesday that he'll play in the 2017 Genesis Open, which will tee off Feb. 16 at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. 

"I'm very excited to come back to Riviera and compete in the Genesis Open," Woods said in a statement, per Noah Sharfman of TigerWoodsFoundation.org. "This is where it all started for me. It was my first PGA Tour event. I was 16 years old, I weighed about 105 pounds. It was a life-changing moment for me."

ESPN's Darren Rovell, citing Getty, tweeted photos from Woods' tour debut:

Woods tweeted about the opportunity to play the Genesis Open again:

Woods returned to competitive action at the Hero World Challenge earlier in December. The tournament was a mixed bag for the 14-time major champion. He placed 15th out of 17 golfers who finished the event.

Golf Channel showed that Woods made encouraging strides but had to shake off rust following his lengthy layoff:

"My goal was to get him through five rounds on his feet," Joe LaCava—Woods' caddie—said, according to ESPN.com's Jason Sobel. "He feels great now, which is a huge positive."

It's too early to pencil in Woods for the 2017 Masters in April. The 40-year-old will likely need to get a few more tournaments under his belt before he feels healthy enough to make the trip to Augusta, Georgia. Playing two tournaments in two months isn't a sign he's back to 100 percent, either.

Still, that Woods can play a light competitive schedule is a step in the right direction after he went through nearly all of 2016 without a meaningful round of golf.

Even after back problems have derailed his quest for Jack Nicklaus' 18 major titles, Woods remains one of the biggest stars in golf. His first appearance at the Masters since 2015 would be a welcome sight for fans.