The Tiger Woods hype train will get an early stop this year as the 14-time major champion announced on Wednesday that he will play at the Farmers Insurance Open at the end of the month.

Woods has won the event seven times, and claimed his last major championship - the 2008 U.S. Open - at Torrey Pines, which will host the upcoming event on January 26.

It will be the 41-year-old's 2017 debut, having made a comeback at the unofficial Hero World Challenge in December, with appearances at the Genesis Open and The Honda Classic in February to follow.

Woods will be ready to make up for lost time having played just one event since August 2015 due to ongoing back problems.

He has not won on the PGA Tour since enjoying five victories during the 2013 season.

The loaded field will also include world number one Jason Day, Hideki Matsuyama, Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Brandt Snedeker and Justin Rose.