He has once again been asked to tee it up in the Saudi International but has instead turned down a huge reported fee of around $3million - a sum he still would have received just for turning up!

The 15-time major winner turned down the same event last year too and was offered a figure in a very similar region.

Despite these being the largest sums of money he has ever been offered due to the PGA Tour not handing out appearance fees, Woods said: “I just don’t want to go over there. It’s a long way.”

Tiger Woods has regularly played events in Dubai, China and Turkey but the interest in playing in Saudi Arabia is few and far between.

Paul Mickelson’s attendance at the Saudi event was confirmed and Woods was then asked when speaking at the Hero World Challenge which took place in the Bahamas this week.

Woods said: “I understand the politics behind it.

“But also the game of golf can help heal a lot of that, too. It can help grow it.

“And also a lot of top players are going to be playing there that particular week.

“It’s traditionally not a golf hotbed, the Middle East. But it has grown quite a bit.”

Mickelson has opted to play in the Saudi event at the expense of missing out on the Waste Management Phoenix Open for the first time in thirty years.

Dustin Johnson will return to defend the title and will appear alongside the likes of Brooks Koepka, Sergio Garcia and Patrick Reed.

The second Saudi International will take place between January 30 - February 3rd.