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LOS ANGELES. — Tiger Woods will tee it up against four of the world’s top seven golfers as the 14-time major champion continues his latest injury comeback when the Farmers Insurance Open begins on Thursday.

Spain’s Jon Rahm, ranked third in the world and the defending champion at Torrey Pines, and Japan’s world number five Hideki Matsuyama are the top-ranked players in a field that also includes sixth-ranked Justin Rose of England and number seven Rickie Fowler.

Former world number one Jason Day of Australia and five-time major-winner Phil Mickelson are also entered in a tournament due to feature 19 of the world’s top 50.

It has been a while since Woods featured that high in the rankings, but the former world number one is sure to be the focus of attention in his first official US PGA Tour event since back surgery last April that sidelined him nearly 10 months.

Woods finished an encouraging ninth in an 18-man field at the unofficial Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in December, where he said he was finally playing without pain. His eight wins at Torrey Pines include seven US PGA Tour victories and the 2008 US Open title, which he won despite battling leg injuries. — AFP.