Woods playing partners announced

(GETTY IMAGES)

South Korean KJ Choi and American Matt Kuchar will have to contend with the Tiger Woods frenzy after being grouped with the world number one for the first two rounds of the US Masters on Thursday and Friday.

Scandal-hit Woods, a four-times champion at Augusta National, will be making his highly anticipated return to professional golf after a self-imposed exile of almost five months.

The 34-year-old American has not competed since winning the Australian Masters on November 15 following startling revelations that he had a string of extra-marital affairs.

Predictably, the comeback of Woods has overshadowed everything else in the build-up to the year's first major and he is scheduled to tee off with Choi and Kuchar at 1342 local (1842 BST) in Thursday's opening round at Augusta.