Tiger Woods heads to China

Tiger Woods confirmed on Wednesday that he'll play in China in November and then seized the opportunity to defend the three million dollars he will receive for playing in Australia the following week. The world's greatest golfer said he will contest the HSBC Champions event in Shanghai, three years after last playing there.

The November 5-8 event is tri-sanctioned by the European, Asian and Australasian Tours, and Woods will also play the following week's Australian Masters at Kingston Heath in Melbourne. There has been some criticism of the Victorian state government, which is reportedly paying half of the three million-dollar (US) appearance fee to get Woods to Australia for the first time since the 1998 Presidents Cup, but Woods doesn't seem to see what all the fuss is about. "I know there's some controversy behind it, but I'm really looking forward to getting down there," Woods said on the eve of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

ORLANDO, Florida, (AFP)