Choi and Kuchar to join Tiger circus

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 U.S. Masters on Thursday and on 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 (1742 GMT) in Thursday's opening round at Augusta, the penultimate group.

Some players would be worried about a pairing with Tiger Woods, but K.J. Choi said he welcomed the chance after being drawn to play with the world number one.

"I'm so happy. Officials, they came at the 15th hole, and they said 'Mr K.J. is this week in the first two rounds with Tiger Woods are together.' I said 'oh, that's good. That's good news'," said Choi.

Choi, the leading Asian player of the last decade with seven U.S. PGA Tour wins, said through an interpreter he had a premonition he would get to play with Woods and looked forward to the opening rounds.