Tiger commits to being global golfer

World number one Tiger Woods paid tribute to his wife for putting up with him as he prepares to win a tournament that has so far eluded him.

SHANGHAI, November 3, 2009 (AFP) - World number one Tiger Woods paid tribute to his wife Elin for putting up with him being away from home as he prepares to win a tournament that has so far eluded him, the HSBC Champions.

Woods said it was getting harder and harder to leave his Florida base now that he has children, but that it was his obligation to be a global golfer and raise the profile of the sport.

"That's the thing most athletes have to juggle, being there for your family while doing what you do on the golf course," he said, adding that it was all about striking a balance.

"It's certainly a challenge but I've been very lucky to have such a fantastic wife who has been just tremendous with our kids.

"It's been a lot of fun being around the kids and being part of them growing up. Yes, it is getting harder and harder to leave home and I'm sure it's only going to get worse as they grow older," he added.

"It's part of what we do as athletes unfortunately. We travel. But as a golfer you have to travel all around the world. It's part of the job."

Woods has two young children, Sam and Charlie.

Despite the time away, he made clear that as world number one he had an obligation to help raise awareness of golf in countries like China, where the sport is starting to take off.

"It's part of our responsibility as players," he said.

"I have played on every continent except Antartica, and they don't have a golf course there yet.

"But the whole idea is to play around the world. That's our responsibilty as players, as world class players."

He pointed to China as a place where future growth of golf was unlimited, with the country going from no golf courses 25 years ago to hundreds today.

"The game has grown globally. The inclusion of us being in the Olympics (from 2016) reflects that," he said.

"The game of golf I think is pretty healthy. We're getting more grassroots involvement and it'll be exciting to see what the future holds."

Woods has played the HSBC Champions twice before, in 2005 and 2006, and came second both times, to David Howell and Yang Youn-Eun.

It is now an elite World Golf Championship event and he would love to add the title to his long list of achivements, which includes winning 14 Majors and an incredible 16 of the 30 World Golf Championship tournaments held.

"I've come close a couple of times and hopefully this week I can put my game together and improve on those finishes," he said.

"It is a big event."