Tiger Woods to play in new $7 mln Turkish Open

The $7 million event at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal course in Belek will form part of the new Final Series on the Race to Dubai, Europe's lucrative end-of-season equivalent of the U.S. Tour's FedExCup competition.

Fourteen-times major winner Woods also featured in last year's unofficial World Golf Final in Turkey played at the nearby Antalya Golf Club.

That invitational eight-man tournament was won by Justin Rose who claimed a first prize of $1.5 million after he defeated fellow Briton Lee Westwood by one stroke in the final.

"I had a great time during my first visit to Turkey," Woods said in a news release. "The fans who came to watch made it a really special event and I'm looking forward to playing there once again."

The Turkish Open is to be held on November 7-10 and will have a 78-strong field.

The European Tour's inaugural Final Series also comprises two events in Shanghai, the $7 million BMW Masters on October 24-27 and the $8.5 million WGC-Champions Tournament from October 31 to November 3.