Luke Donald but no Tiger Woods for Australian Masters

(Reuters) - World number one Luke Donald will take part in the Australian Masters in December but Tiger Woods will not be returning to the event where he claimed his last tournament victory in 2009.

Donald will be joined by fellow Briton Ian Poulter and local defending champion Stuart Appleby in the field for the tournament, which will take place at the Victoria Golf Club from December 15-18.

The tournament was thought to be in doubt this year after missing out on the slots in the calendar immediately before and after the November 14-20 President’s Cup, which will take place in Melbourne.

Tournament owners IMG, however, were determined to capitalize on the exposure the Australian Masters got from Woods’s appearances over the last two years, including his triumph at the Kingston Heath in 2009.

Former number one Woods, who has not won a tournament since and has slipped to 17th in the rankings, announced earlier this month that he was parting company with sports management group IMG.