World numbers one and two Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods are committed to their first event of 2013 on Wednesday and what makes happy is that they'll be teeing it up at the same tournament, after Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship officials confirmed the top two players in the world would be starting the season in the Middle East Jan. 17-20.

McIlroy of Northern Ireland finished second in the last two events this year, behind only Robert Rock, a final winner. Since then, the runner-up, 23-year-old has cemented himself as the world's top player and won his first Grand Slam title at the US PGA Championships in August. 

Woods started strong in the event this year, but complete backwardness two rock disappeared. However, the former world number one has experienced some recovery in this year's Invitational, the Memorial and the AT & T National victory.

A year ago, Woods was tied with Robert Rock going into the final round, closed with a 72 and tied for third, two shots behind the Englishman. McIlroy was the runner-up.

Woods last year skipped Torrey Pines, where he has won seven times as a pro, to play Abu Dhabi, This year, Torrey Pines is the week after Abu Dhabi, leaving open the possibility that Woods could play.

Both said they had been impressed by the Abu Dhabi Golf Club course and the facilities that were provided, convincing them to return for next year with a $2.7 million prize fund on offer from January 17-20. "I really enjoyed my time in Abu Dhabi and I wanted to return, particularly as I played well and came so close last year," said Woods.

"I'd love nothing more than to win in January and start the season in the best possible way." said McIlroy, who won his first pro tournament in nearby Dubai in 2009, took over the world No.1 spot earlier this year and went on to win his second major tournament at the USPGA in August. 

"This will be the first time I've headed to Abu Dhabi as world number one and I'm determined to keep the wins coming and cement my ranking," the Ulsterman said. "The strength of the field means there will be a ton of world ranking points on offer so Abu Dhabi will be a really significant tournament that sets the tone for the year.

"I had a great tussle with Tiger nine months ago and I'm sure he'll be in contention again. We've spent a lot of time playing together this year and it's always fun challenging the best."