Tiger Woods is reported being lured to compete alongside Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and some other greats of the game will compete in Turkey for a first time in their careers later this year.

Joining Woods, Westwood and McIlroy will be World No. 1 Luke Donald, Justin Rose, Charl Schwartzel, Webb Simpson and Hunter Mahan.

The winner would receive $1.5 million, with $1 million going to the runner-up.#

The tournament is a prelude to the staging next April of the European Tour sanctioned Turkey Open.

Unfortunately, the tournament will be staged the same week as the Portugal Masters but ending on a Friday.

AGW colleague, Derek Lawrenson reports the event is Turkey’s first bid at staging the 2020 Olympics.

“Our goal is to hold a competition in the nature of a final that will bring the world’s top 20 professional golfers to Belek and make the whole world sit up and take notice,” said Turkish Golf Federation president Ahmet Ağaoğlu in a February 2012 interview.

“We have to do something different. After a hiatus of close to a hundred years, golf is going to be an Olympic sport again at the 2016 Olympics. Our aim is to send a couple Turkish golfers there to compete. We are already working on that.”

Based on the world rankings on April 1, the  only two members of the top eight to turn down a place were Martin Kaymer and  Steve Stricker, and were replaced by Rose and Simpson.

However there has been follow-up reports denying Woods will compete

A formal annoucement will be made during next fortnight’s Open Championship.