Woods has no intention of joining European Tour

• By Jason Sobel
• Nov 27, 2012 6:58 PM ET

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Officials from the European Tour recently voted to include Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup appearances as one of 13 events necessary for membership, prompting speculation that more players will take up official status.

That might happen, but Tiger Woods won’t be one of them.

“I'll make it real simple,” Woods said Tuesday in advance of the World Challenge. “I'm not going to play the European Tour next year.”

With four major championships, three World Golf Championship events and his annual appearance at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on his schedule being joined by the Presidents Cup counting toward membership next year, Woods would have needed four more European Tour starts to own official status. Some believed he may have opted to play two “playoff” events leading into the season finale in Dubai, meaning he would need just one more start overseas, but Woods quashed that idea.

“It's a bit much for me still,” he said. “Certainly I've had opportunities over the years, especially when it was at 11 events, I was very close a couple times and could have taken membership up and played it. I enjoy playing around the world, and I still always will, but I am going to play this Tour.”

Though he has never taken up European Tour membership, Woods has earned enough to win that circuit’s money title on eight separate occasions.