TIGER WOODS has hit golf balls off the world’s tallest hotel in Dubai, has fired them off the back of a United States aircraft carrier on active service in the Gulf and yesterday tried to carry the busy Huangpu river that cuts its way through the centre of Shanghai.

With the river more than 550 yards across, it was a feat that was always going to be beyond even Woods, but nonetheless it was an effective publicity stunt designed to announce the arrival on Chinese soil of the world’s most famous sportsman.

If you wish to promote an event, then Woods is your man. He does not come cheap, but to judge from the publicity he generates, he is good value.

Woods has come to China for the inaugural HSBC Champions tournament — an event that brings together this year’s title-winners from the European, Asian, Australasian and southern African tours — and, as is his wont, he has hit the ground running.

Having arrived at the crack of dawn after a 16-hour flight on his private jet from Atlanta — where he finished runner-up in the end-of-season Tour Championship — he was to be found a few hours later, freshly shaven and immaculately dressed, outside the clubhouse of the Sheshan International Golf Club.

His first job of the day was to be photographed, filmed and interviewed in front of a couple of Buicks. The American car manufacturer sponsors Woods for a good few million dollars and will have lapped up the chance to take advantage of his presence in a country with a massively expanding market.

From there it was straight to a clinic, where he ran through a few practice routines and drew spontaneous, if a little bashful, applause from a specially invited group of about 50 men, women and children, who were taken aback by the distances he drove the ball.

A man who needs no introduction, Woods nevertheless introduced himself to one local golfer — “Hi, I’m Tiger. It’s nice to meet you” — before handing the man his club and inviting him to have a try. Several did, including a nine-year-old girl who plays off a handicap of 18 and for whom Woods had plenty of praise. “Annika (Sorenstam) had better watch out,” he joked, before bringing matters to a close.

Then, surrounded by the inevitable heavies, men in black suits, one resembling Oddjob, the James Bond villain, and all fitted with earpieces and carrying walkie-talkies, it was off for a quick nine holes with Arjun Atwal, the Indian player, who asked in jest “What are we playing for?” before watching his game crumble in the presence of the world’s greatest golfer.

To judge from his first day, Woods is obviously prepared to work for his corn. With matters on the course brought to an end, he was whisked off to a plush city-centre hotel and a press conference in which banking and government big-wigs bathed in his glow in front of more than 300 mostly awed reporters and cameramen.

HSBC has committed itself to the tournament for at least five years, stumping up £2.7 million in prize-money this year alone, of which the winner from a limited field of 75 will pick up more than £475,000. For Woods, though, the prize-money is a side issue, having persuaded the bank to join forces with his charity, the Tiger Woods Foundation, which helps to take the sport to children who might never get the opportunity to play.

“Since 1996, the foundation has reached millions of young people in the USA and I am excited we are expanding our vision to those who need us in other countries,” Woods said.

When play gets under way tomorrow, Woods will be paired with Colin Montgomerie, the newly crowned European No 1, and Zhang Lian-Wei, China’s self-taught and most successful player. Asked what he thought of the Scot winning his eighth order of merit title, Woods had nothing but praise: “It is one of the remarkable feats of modern golf,” he said, “because of the consistency it takes. He showed a lot of heart and desire. I can see him winning a major because he has the game to do it. It’s just putting it together at the right time.”

Now it is back to the real business for Woods. There is, after all, a tournament to be won while he is here.