Woods, who made his comeback to golf at the US Masters earlier this month, won the Players Championship in 2001.

The world No 1 received a warm welcome by most fans in the tightly-controlled environment at Augusta National and will have to contend with what the PGA Tour said it hopes will be "record crowds" at TPC Sawgrass on 6-9 May.

The Players Championship is widely considered golf's fifth major after the Masters, US Open, the Open and the US PGA Championship.

Following his tie for fourth place at the Masters, Woods had already confirmed his entry for the US Open, which returns to Pebble Beach on 17-20 June for the first time since 2000, when the American obliterated his rivals to triumph by a record 15 strokes.

He has also agreed to play in the Quail Hollow Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina, on 29 April-2 May.

• Ian Poulter, the world No 6 and second-highest ranked player in the field after Steve Stricker, has withdrawn from the New Orleans Classic starting today because of a knee injury.