Tiger Woods' return to the Arnold Palmer Invitational officially will begin at 8:20 a.m. Thursday when the eight-time winner at Bay Hill will tee off.
2016 winner Jason Day and world No. 6 Hideki Matsuyama, back from a six-week layoff for a thumb injury, will join Woods in the featured group of the API's morning wave.
The crowds are sure to be huge on what is expected to be a chilly Orlando morning. Wednesday night temperatures are forecast to dip into the low 40s.
Woods, Day and Matsuyama will tee off at 1:08 p.m. Friday.
Fans wanting to catch a glimpse of Woods earlier can follow his Pro-Am Wednesday morning, beginning at 7:20 a.m.
The API will be Woods' fifth PGA Tour start since he returned from major back surgery. The 42-year-old is making rapid, if not unexpected progress.
Last week at the Valspar Championship outside Tampa, he tied for second place _ his best finish since August of 2013. Woods recorded the last of his record total of wins at Bay Hill earlier that year.
Woods' return this year is a boost to a field featuring 10 of the world's top 17 players in the world rankings, but missing big names like Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson.
The former world No. 1, Woods is ranked No. 149, up from 388 a week ago.
