Tiger ready to roar in Shanghai

Tiger Woods has confirmed he will play the HSBC Champions in China this year before heading to the Australian Masters as he gets ready to roar on another Asian swing.

The superstar world number one is returning to an international schedule after injury and fatherhood, and he will tee off 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 be at the following week's Australian Masters at Kingston Heath in Melbourne.

Organisers of the five million dollar Barclays Singapore Open, which falls the week before Shanghai, have long wanted Woods at their tournament and this could also fit his schedule, although nothing has yet been confirmed.

"As far as HSBC, yeah, I will play the week before (Melbourne)," he said ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida.

Woods was runner-up at the HSBC Champions in 2005 and 2006 and with the event widely expected to become a World Golf Championship tournament, it adds extra motivation for him to win.

His attendence will go down well with fans here after state media this week claimed him as one of their own, saying he has "Chinese blood in his veins"

"His father is half African-American, quarter Chinese and quarter Native-American," said China Central Television.

"His mother is half Thai, quarter Chinese and quarter Dutch. This makes Woods one-quarter Chinese, one-quarter Thai, one-quarter African-American, one-eighth Native-American, and one-eighth Dutch."

His planned trip overseas is not without controversy, with the Victorian state government being criticised for reportedly paying half of the three million US dollar appearance fee needed to entice him to Australia.

Woods doesn't seem to see what all the fuss is about.

"Most of the guys get appearance fees to play around the world. I've played all around the world and I've thoroughly enjoyed going," he said.

"I haven't played in Australia since The Presidents Cup (in 1998). I've always wanted to get down there and play more in the Aussie Sand Belt because that is my favorite area to play.

"I've always enjoyed it, and I'm really looking forward to getting down there and playing. Obviously I know there's some controversy behind it, but I'm really looking forward."

Woods scaled back on his international commitments in 2007 after the birth of his first child, and a knee injury prevented him playing last year.