Tiger Woods and defending champion Phil Mickelson, the top two players in the world, will return to Shanghai for the US$7 million WGC-HSBC Champions in November.

Woods will be making his fourth trip to the Sheshan International Golf Club in six years for the November 4-7 event, while Mickelson will be aiming for a third triumph in four years at Asia's richest tournament.

"It was an honor to win the first World Golf Championships to be held in China against such a truly world-class field and I am really looking forward to defending my title in November," said Mickelson.

Woods, who has finished second, second and sixth in his three previous trips to Shanghai, had a calamitous final round last year when he was in the leading group with Mickelson.

"This is a title the players would love to win and I am looking forward to having another shot at the title this year," said Woods.

At Firestone on Sunday, Woods has never looked worse.

"Shooting 18-over par is not fun," Woods said.

"I don't see how it can be fun shooting 18 over."

He missed one last birdie putt to close with a 77. That gave Woods the highest 72-hole score - 298 - of any PGA Tour event he ever played, even as an amateur. It was the first time he shot over par in all four rounds since the 2003 PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

This from a guy who had never finished worse than fifth at Firestone in 11 previous events, who had not shot over par on the South Course since 2006, who last year made PGA Tour history by winning for the seventh time on the same course.