The PGA Tour announced on their website Friday that Woods, 40, will make his long-awaited return to competitive golf at next week's Safeway Open in California.

 "Out of action due to injury since August 2015, Tiger Woods will return to PGA Tour competition next week at the Safeway Open, the first event of the 2016-17 PGA Tour season," the PGA announcement read. "Woods officially committed today to the event, October 10-16 at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, California."

Woods last played in August 2015 at the Wyndham Championship before having multiple back operations. He had said last month his plan was to ease back into competition with the Safeway Open, the Turkish Airlines Open in November and the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in December.

"Silverado is the perfect course for him because it is so straightforward," tournament host Johnny Miller said last month when Woods indicated he hoped to play. "I think he'll love being back in California. If he can get a good first round... just get some confidence and springboard from there."

Due to his yearlong absence, the former world number one has plummeted to No. 767 in the world ranking. He has still not won a PGA Tour event since the Bridgestone Invitational in 2013, which was his 79th title. He is three short of Sam Snead's record for most titles in the PGA Tour.

dv/ (AP, Reuters, dpa)