( CNN ) -- Tiger Woods is looking forward to the chance to immediately win back his world No . 1 golf ranking at this week 's WGC-HSBC Champions event in China . The American returns to action on Thursday for his first outing since the Ryder Cup in early October , having seen Englishman Lee Westwood end his 281-week reign on Sunday . Woods , No . 3 Martin Kaymer and defending champion Phil Mickelson can all claim top spot in Shanghai this weekend . `` To be number one in the world you have to win regularly , and I have n't done that lately , '' Woods told reporters . `` As in every event I play , I 'm here trying to win . `` If ever there was an event that deserved to be the first Asian tournament to impact the top of the world rankings , this is the one . I 've referred to it before as the crowning jewel of Asian golf . '' After the $ 7 million event at Sheshan International , where Woods was sixth last year , the 34-year-old will head to Bangkok for a skins tournament celebrating the 84th birthday of the King of Thailand -- the country where his mother was born . The 14-time major winner will defend his Australian Masters title in Melbourne from November 11-14 , and then end his season as playing host of the Chevron World Challenge in California in early December . `` I 've got three more events this year , and hopefully I can end on a good note , '' said Woods , who has not won a title this year following his marital problems and injuries . `` I 'm really looking forward to these events and , hopefully , they will spearhead into a better 2011 . '' Mickelson , who also won in Shanghai in 2007 , believes any player in the 78-man field can win this year 's title in the sixth staging of the tournament . `` There are very , very few events each year that have the strength in depth of the HSBC Champions . Every player in the field has the talent and the experience to win ; it 's a field of winners , '' the American said . `` Everyone wants to be number one in the world but the only way to get there is to win tournaments , and the HSBC is a big tournament , a great opportunity to advance . '' The 40-year-old , who won his third Masters title in April but then blew several chances to topple Woods from the No . 1 spot , is paired with Westwood and 2006 champion Y.E . Yang for the first two rounds . Woods will play with U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell and former No . 1 Ernie Els , while U.S. PGA winner Kaymer was drawn with U.S. Ryder Cup adversary Hunter Mahan and England 's Paul Casey .
Tiger Woods , Phil Mickelson and Martin Kaymer can topple new golf No . 1 Lee Westwood . Quartet lining up for WGC-HSBC Champions tournament in China this week . TL;DR Fellow American Mickelson is the defending champion , having also won in 2007 .