World No 1 golfer Tiger Woods, who withdrew from the game late last year after a damaging adultery scandal, announced on Tuesday that he would make his comeback to professional golf at the US Masters in early April.
"The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect," Woods said in a statement published on his website. "After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta."
The Masters at Augusta, Georgia, will be held from April 5 through 11. Woods has won the event four times.
"The major championships have always been a special focus in my career and, as a professional, I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it's been a while since I last played," said Woods, who is one of the world's most recognisable and highly paid athletes.
Woods, 34, had announced in December that he was withdrawing from professional golf to save his marriage after revelations emerged of repeated marital infidelity.
He has since apologised to his family and fans but had not indicated until Tuesday when he might return to the game.
The scandal erupted after he crashed his car outside his Florida home in the middle of the night in November, a bizarre incident that triggered a storm of media speculation about his private life.
Last month Woods made a carefully managed first public appearance since his spectacular fall from grace that rocked his multimillion-dollar sponsors.
He said he was sorry for cheating on his wife and that he was undergoing therapy but did not give details of the treatment.
He said then that he planned to return to golf "one day", possibly this year, but didn't specify when.
"I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy, and I am continuing my treatment. Although I'm returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life," Woods said in his statement on Tuesday.
