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Tiger Woods set to make Pebble Beach National Pro-Am return

Torrey Pines is usually Tiger Woods' first PGA Tour stop of the season, but for the first time in a while, Woods is mixing it up a bit this year. On Monday, he announced on his website that instead of kicking things off at Torrey, he'll instead make the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am his first start in the States.

"I haven't been to this tournament lately, but I have a lot of good memories at Pebble," Woods said on his website. "It will be fun going back."

With Woods deciding to skip Torrey and instead start his season at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in the United Arab Emirates, that left a hole in his West Coast schedule that needed to be filled.

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While there was speculation that Riviera could also be in the mix, Woods instead decided to make a return to the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, an event he hasn't played since 2002. With a slimmed-down 156-player field and Monterey Peninsula CC replacing Poppy Hills GC in the three-course rotation -- Woods was never a fan of Poppy in the first place -- it seemed like everything was finally in place for a Woods return.

Plus, he's had some success at Pebble in the past -- including a come-from-behind win at the Pro-Am and record-setting U.S. Open victory in 2000 -- and you have to think that probably played a small part in the decision.

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