Australian Open to precede 2011 Presidents Cup

GOLF: MELBOURNE, Jan 1 (AFP) - The 2011 Australian Open will precede the Presidents Cup event in Melbourne next November, the PGA of Australia said on Sunday.

The Open, likely to be held in Sydney, will be staged from November 10-13, with the Australian PGA Championship to follow.

The Australian PGA Championship at Coolum, Queensland will be scheduled from November 24-27, a week after the Presidents Cup between the United States and International team members is staged at Royal Melbourne from November 17-20.

The PGA also said that the Australian Masters was tentatively scheduled for December 1-4, but that was still to be confirmed.

Tiger Woods, who has played in the Masters over the last two years, had said he would prefer the Masters to be played the week before the Presidents Cup. PGA of Australia chief executive Max Garske said the decision was made in the best interest of both Australian golf and the PGA Tour of Australasia.

"There were a number of factors that needed to be carefully considered in finalising the scheduling for 2011 including the timing of a number of international events, the availability of certain venues and the domestic schedule that best serves the Australian golfing public," Garske said.

"With the focus of the golfing world set to be firmly on Melbourne come mid-November 2011, it is a given that the Presidents Cup will offer up a number of benefits to events falling on either side. "So with these factors in mind we feel we have made the decision in the best interest of the game and we now look forward to what will be a great year for the Australian golf community."