ALL THE TEE IN CHINA.

Byline: NEIL MCLEMAN

TIGER WOODS has tipped China to become a golfing powerhouse in the next few years.

The World No.1 tees up in the HSBC Champions in Shanghai today - the first World Golf Championship event to be staged in Asia.

The game in the Far East got a huge boost when YE Yang of South Korea became the first Asian to win a Major, beating Woods at the US PGA in August.

And Woods, the son of a Thai mother, reckons golf becoming an Olympic sport in 2016 will see the Chinese government invest millions to achieve medals in future years.

"China has done pretty much the same thing in every other sport, except for golf," he said. "It will be interesting to see what will happen if they make a push towards that, and if they do then there's no question they will become a powerhouse in golf.

"With the populous and with the amount of golf courses being constructed, the game is obviously exploding over here. So it is just a matter of time."

Woods and World No.2 Phil Mickelson are competing for the first time together in Asia, part of a 78-man field including 15 of the top 20 players in the world.

"I'm excited that Tiger and I are able to compete in the same event here in China," said Mickelson who won the event in 2007.

"I think that it will provide some exposure to the game of golf throughout the country, and I'm hopeful that we compete head-tohead over the weekend, and are both in contention."

Woods has won 16 of the 30 WGC events he has entered, including the Bridgestone Invitational in August.

CAPTION(S):

CHALLENGE Phil Mickelson is in the Shanghai field JUST CHAMPION Tiger Woods in Shanghai yesterday