FILE PHOTO: Dec 16, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; Tiger Woods laughs at a comment made by playing competitor Justin Thomas (back) on the sixth tee box during the PNC Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo
(Reuters) - Tiger Woods will play alongside fellow major winners Justin Thomas and Gary Woodland in the first two rounds of this week's Genesis Invitational at Riviera, where he is competing on the PGA Tour for the first time since last April.
The trio will head out on Thursday at 12:25 p.m. ET (1725 GMT) and at 2:54 p.m. ET for Friday's second round, according to the groupings and tee times released on Tuesday.
Woods, who will be sporting apparel from his new Sun Day Red apparel brand this week, has not played a PGA Tour event since last April's Masters, where he made the cut but withdrew before completing the third round because of plantar fasciitis.
The 15-times major champion had ankle surgery later that month and only returned to professional golf at the end of November in an unofficial PGA Tour event -- the Hero World Challenge -- which featured a limited field and no cut.
Woods, who is scheduled to have a pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday, went one under par through four rounds and finished in a share of 45th place last year at Riviera.
The Genesis Invitational is one of the PGA Tour's eight Signature Events this year and features a halfway cut and $20 million purse, including $4 million for the winner.
Woods is also serving as a tournament host this week.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)
