Tiger Woods has shrugged off criticism levelled at him for missing last week's high-profile PGA Tour Championship in America.

The world number one was absent for the tour's season finale, choosing to continue his break from the game before flying out to China for the HSBC Champions event, which starts on Thursday at the Sheshan International Golf Club.

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem was disappointed a number of big-name stars, with Woods top of that list, were not playing in the event.

But the 12-time major winner defended his decision to take a five-week break after a year overshadowed by the death of his father Earl in May.

"You can't play them all - and the ones which you don't play, people are going to wish you were there to play. That's just the way it's going to be," Woods said.

"Five weeks was nice. It was nice to just get away and lock up the clubs for a little bit."

A recharged Woods is now looking forward to getting back on the course, starting in Shanghai - where he finished runner-up to England's David Howell last year - moving on to the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan and the two-day Grand Slam in Hawaii before finishing with his own tournament, the Target World Challenge, in December.

"I want to make sure I play well in these four events," Woods added.