Augusta players and fans will be pleased to have Woods back says debutant Dyson

Woods makes his comeback tomorrow in the US Masters, the year's first major golf championship, just over four months after revelations about his private life were made public.

The reaction the 14-time major champion will get from the galleries on the first tee tomorrow is an intriguing subplot to this year's tournament, with the tawdry scandal of his private life having cast a shadow over the Augusta build-up.

Woods has been drawn in the penultimate group alongside Matt Kuchar and KJ Choi at 1.42pm local time having revealed in his news conference earlier in the week that the players have welcomed him back into the fold.

And Malton professional Dyson, who makes his Master debut this week, believes the fans will be just as keen to see him in action.

"I can't see the fans reacting badly towards him, they'll just be pleased to have him back," said Dyson, 32. "It's probably the only tournament in which the organisers can control everybody and it's probably the perfect one for him to come back to.

"I don't think what has happened will make a great deal of difference to his approach to the game.

"He is just so good for the sport and it's so good to have him back."

Dyson, a four-time winner on the European Tour, tees off at 10.57am local time (3.57pm BST) tomorrow alongside former US Open champion Michael Campbell and American Ben Crane. The threeball's second-round tee-time is 12.50pm on Friday.

Should he make the cut and qualify for the final two rounds, the Yorkshireman will not let any distractions from the Augusta patrons affect him if he gets the chance to go head-to-head with Woods.

"From my point of view it's great to have him back. You want to be playing against the best players in the world, and he is the best," said Dyson, whose best finish in a major was sixth at the 2007 US PGA.

"I'd love to play with him on one of the days (in Augusta), that would be a great experience."

Woods has been spared any sparks on the first two days with both Georgia-born Kuchar and South Korea's Choi players who attract only modest followings.

But it will not be easy for England's Ian Poulter who is in the group immediately ahead, which inevitably means having to deal with a lot of crowd distractions as everyone tries to get in position to see Woods on his return from a 144-day hiatus.

Worksop's Lee Westwood, who finished third in the last two majors, plays alongside 2003 champion Mike Weir and Italian teenage amateur Matteo Manassero.

Phil Mickelson, green jacket winner in 2004 and 2006, has been paired with Robert Allenby and Yong-eun Yang, the reigning US PGA champion.

The field was reduced to 96 yesterday when Ray Floyd announced his retirement.

The 67-year-old won the Masters in 1976 and as a former champion has a lifetime exemption to play in the tournament but opted out of a major swansong by calling time on his career.

"It was something I toyed with pretty much all year as to whether I would play or not," said Floyd, who also lost a play-off to Nick Faldo in 1990.

"I just feel that I've had so many fond, special memories here and I didn't feel like I embarrassed myself out there."