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The HSBC Champions from Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai, China gets underway later tonight in a Ryder Cup-esque viewing time for those on the East Coast. This is the most anticipated golf tournament for an entire month.

Following the Ryder Cup, golf has taken a backseat to college and professional football, as well as the beginning of the NBA. Luckily, for people like me, and I would guess, people like you who are reading a golf blog in the beginning of November, the Fall Series has been extremely entertaining.

But honestly, let’s not kid ourselves. We all have been waiting with bated breath for the HSBC, which as a WGC event, has an awesome field. For the first time in normal tournament action since the PGA Championship, Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Ryo Ishikawa, Anthony Kim, Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, The Brothers Molinari, Luke Donald, Matteo Manassero, Ian Poulter, Miguel Angel Jimenez and many others will all be in the same field. It doesn’t get much better than that, especially for this time of year.

Let’s jump into this thing.

First of all, every economics and marketing class in the country has been saying for the past 10 years that the largest and most influential in the world is China. They have a billion people there for chrissakes. So what would you except to happen when the best golfers in the world assemble in one place? A sword fight of course.

What better way to settle the world rankings dilemma than with a good old fashioned Chinese sword fight?

Also up for grabs this weekend, aside from the $7 million purse, is the world No. 1 ranking, recently apprehended by Englishman Lee Westwood.

The top four players in the world, 1. Westwood, 2. Woods, 3. Kaymer and 4. Mickelson all have a chance to take the No. 1 slot from Westwood with a win this week. After Westwood’s rise to No. 1 received some criticism, this week would be the perfect time for one of those four men to play their way into the No. 1 spot and in essence, silence the critics because they would have earned it.

Looking at each player individually, starting from the bottom and moving up, Phil Mickelson is playing for the first time since the Tour Championship in a stoke-play tournament. Mickelson shot a 4-over 74 to end the tournament at +3 and T-22. Lefty’s been battling his psoriatic arthritis, but said this week that the time off and medicine he is taking allows him to work out and go to the gym (ha) like he used to. Still, Mickelson’s game has been a little off all year, and it didn’t really show any signs of coming back at Celtic Manor. I think this will be the 13th time he has a chance to take over No. 1 in the world, and the 13th time he fails to do it.

Martin Kaymer had a bad week last week. He went to Valderrama and lost to perhaps the only other person on the planet player as well as him (Graeme McDowell). However, coming off a hot streak in which he won the last three times he teed it up has moved Kaymer to third in the world. If he can forget last week at Valderrama, I don’t see why he can’t win again this week in China and lay claim to that No. 1 ranking so many people feel he deserves.

Tiger Woods is all over the place. He says his game is coming along, but to be real, when has he said his game isn’t coming along. It seemed that during the FedEx Cup Playoffs, he was getting back into form. With his new swing coach, Sean Foley, Tiger seemed to be making progress, finishing in the top 15 in each of the three Playoff events he was in. Then he got some time off to practice, showed up in Wales and went on to put up a 3-1 record, including a dismantling of Francesco Molinari in the singles, going 7-under on 10 holes. With another month to practice and grow accustomed to Foley’s swing changes, it would be hard to believe Tiger is not going in the right direction. Plus, there is that little thing about Westwood replacing Tiger as the world’s No. 1 golfer and everyone knows how Tiger usually handles getting publicly dissed. I don’t expect Tiger to come through and win this week, I think he is still a little bit away from that, but by no means would I be surprised if he did so, if only to restore his ranking.

Lee Westwood has been fighting his ailing calf since the middle of summer, missing the PGA Championship and only coming back to help Europe win the Ryder Cup. Following the victory in Wales, Westy went to St. Andrews and competed in the Dunhill Links where it was reported that he tweaked said calf. After a little rest and recuperation, Westwood took over the No. 1 ranking. Clearly, Westwood knows not to ruffle Tiger’s feathers, but he is not apologizing for taking over the ranking either. If Westwood can play like he did in Wales, there is no reason he can’t cement his No. 1 ranking with a victory.

All that being said, I don’t think any of these four will win the HSBC. Not because none of them are capable, but just because, with the exception of Kaymer, their games seem a bit off at the moment. But for me, right now, I think Graeme McDowell is playing the best golf in the world. Winning last week at tough course in Valderrama, I don’t see anyone slowing him down.

Finally, a look at the quality pairings in this weekend. Wouldn’t you know it, those guys over in China know how to put some “random” pairings together.

The early draw for Thursday seems a little weak. The only quality threesome I see going off the first tee is the Manassero, S. Appleby and R. Palmer at 9:40. It seems that the back nine Thursday morning will be the place to be. First off will be a cheeky pairing including Anthony Kim and Robert Allenby with Eduardo Molinari playing third wheel. Ryo Ishikawa, Ian Poulter and Nick Watney go off 10 at 9:15. Right behind them will be Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Graeme McDowell. Following that threesome will be Hunter Mahan, Martin Kaymer and Paul Casey. Finishing off the parade of stars is the group of Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood and YE Yang. Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald and MAJ are also sprinkled across the back nine Thursday morning.

The coverage begins tonight on Golf Channel at Midnight EST and goes until 4 a.m. I’ll be up live tweeting the coverage, so if you can’t afford to miss those sleeping hours, read up on the tweets tomorrow at work.

It’s exciting to have world-class golf going on again!

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