Friday 10 January 2020 07:09, UK
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will both make their first competitive appearances of the year at the Farmers Insurance Open later this month.
McIlroy confirmed earlier this week that he would be teeing up at Torrey Pines in California for the second year running, and Woods has also announced he will bid for an eighth victory in the event.
Golf's two-star draw will then have a week off before heading to Los Angeles to play in the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, where Woods will also serve as the tournament host.
McIlroy was tied for fifth at Torrey Pines last year before finishing one place better at Riviera, while Woods was 20th and 15th respectively as he made a steady start to 2019 before landing his first major in almost 11 years at the Masters in April.
The Farmers Insurance Invitational will be the first chance for Woods to set the outright record for PGA Tour victories having matched Sam Snead's haul of 82 titles when he won the inaugural Zozo Championship in Japan in October.
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Woods also expressed his delight that the Genesis Invitational has been given elevated status by the PGA Tour, and he is looking forward to hosting the event at the venue where he made his Tour debut as a raw teenage amateur in 1992.
Genesis Invitational, to be held February 10-16 at The Riviera Country Club. In its first year with elevated status, the longstanding tournament is now an invitational, with Woods serving as tournament host.
"It's an honour for us to be in the same category as Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer," said Woods of the upgraded status for the Genesis Invitational.
"Those are two legends of the game. For us to have this type of elevation, all the things we want to have happen for the tournament are going to happen. On top of that, to be able to host the tournament each and every year at Riviera, where it all started for me, it's come full circle."
