HSBC boasts Woods and Mickelson, but several big names missing

SHANGHAI, China (PA) -- Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will be part of the strongest field ever assembled in Asia this week.

The HSBC Champions in Shanghai becomes part of the World Golf Championships for the first time and there is certain to be a record number of ranking points on offer -- even with 10 players, eight of them American, not accepting their invitations to play.

"Our estimation is that the strength is such that this year's winner will receive 68 world ranking points, which is 30 percent more than in any previous year," said Ian Barker, the rankings administrator.

He confirmed that the projected 68 points would make it the second-highest ranked event played outside the United States this year, behind only the British Open.

A total of 23 countries are represented in the field and Woods and Mickelson are competing together in Asia for the first time. The event is also offering prize money totalling £4.2million.

And while the sponsors are naturally delighted that Woods and Mickelson are in the 78-strong field, the list of withdrawals is not going down so well. Among the Ameicans not making the trip are U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover, world No. 3 Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, Kenny Perry, Scott Verplank, Dustin Johnson and Heath Slocum, along with Fiji's Vijay Singh and South African Tim Clark.

The World Golf Championships have all been staged in the United States since The Grove in England was the venue for the American Express Championship in 2006.

Since the series started 10 years ago, the Accenture Match Play has only once been taken out of America -- that was in Australia in 2001 and the field was the weakest ever. The Bridgestone Invitational has always been at Firestone Country Club in Akron.

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