Tiger Woods has defended a decision not to contest this week’s lucrative WGC – HSBC Champions event in Shanghai.

HSBC organisers are reportedly disappointed that Woods, who also made two lucrative appearances in China and Macau this week, is missing the tournament for the second year in a row.

Steinberg admitted that Woods had known for “more than a year” — before he skipped last season’s edition — that he wouldn’t be present in Shanghai.

And he added that it wasn’t certain that Woods would attend next year, with his 2014 schedule not yet finalised.

World number one golfer, Tiger Woods (R) helps a young boy to putt during a golf clinic session in Singapore on November 1, 2013. Tiger Woods has on previous visits participated in exclusive golf clinics with student athletes from the Singapore Sports School, Golf Academy, hosted by Marina Bay Sands. AFP PHOTO/ROSLAN RAHMAN

But he insisted relations remained good with title sponsor HSBC, and there was no extra pressure to attend what is Asia’s richest tournament.

“We had a number of other corporate engagements that I’ve had scheduled for quite some time, well over a year, throughout Asia,” said Steinberg in an exclusive with AFP.

“It was just a straight conflict, that was it… We’ve had a terrific relationship with HSBC for many, many years. It’s strictly a scheduling issue.”

Such is the appeal of Woods that his attendance can have a major impact on the profile of a tournament, boosting the visibility of its sponsors.

And the manager to the 14-time Major champion reinterated what he had indicated to www.golfbytourmiss.com at Hainan Island on Monday that both he and Woods want to move on after the Brandel ‘Shambles’ Chamblee controversy.

“We’re not going to comment any further, we’re done,” said Steinberg, as Woods held a clinic for young golfers and dyslexic children at the Marina Bay Sands Casino Hotel.

“We’re done speaking about it. I’ve got a lot of work to do ahead of me and Tiger’s got a lot to do ahead of him, so we’re just moving forward.”

Steinberg had said he was considering a libel suit against the now embattled Golf Channel commentator despite the bumbling former Tour pro commenting on Wednesday over the matter.

Chamblee finally confessed in his first televised comments on the issue that he “went too far”, but stopped short of making a full apology.

“Cheating involves intent,” Chamblee said. “There’s no way that I could know with 100 percent certainty what Tiger’s intent was in any of those situations. That was my mistake.”

Chamblee’s explanation mirrors his initial response to Steinberg, when he issued tweets admitting he had been unfair to Woods, but then said he stood by his comments.

Woods, who is in the midst of a series of promotional engagements in Asia, had indicated to www.golfbytourmiss.com at Mission Hills he would leave it to the Golf Channel to act on Chamblee.

“The whole issue has been very disappointing as he (Chamblee) didn’t really apologise and he sort of reignited the whole situation,” he said exclusively to Bernie McGuire.

“But so as far as I am concerned I’m going to put it behind me and move forward, so the ball really is in the court of the Golf Channel and what they are prepared to do.”

However Woods did not speak to the media during his third appearance in Singapore.

Held as part of the Sands’ initiatives to give back to the community, the lucky students were from the Singapore Sports School Golf Academy and the Dyslexia Association of Singapore.

A custom-made golf simulator was set up for the session, and the students also got a chance to try and beat Woods’ longest drive.

Dane Ang, a student at the Singapore Sports School, said: “It has always been my dream to meet Tiger Woods and now my dream has been fulfilled.

“I took a swing with Tiger just now, and he told me I had a good swing and good speed. And I really thank him for that — I think him doing that has given me more confidence in my game.”