Donald drawn with Woods

Luke Donald did not face Tiger Woods on his Ryder Cup debut but he will on his first appearance in the American Express world championship at Mount Juliet in Co Kilkenny on Thursday.

The two have been drawn with South Korean KJ Choi in the first round of the €5.5m event featuring 68 of the golf’s top players – but not world number one Vijay Singh, former Open champions John Daly and Nick Price and the last two Masters champions Phil Mickelson and Mike Weir.

Singh pulled out following damage to his Florida home caused by Hurricane Jeanne, Daly has a foot injury and Weir is unwell, while Mickelson and Price also decided not to make the trip.

Of Europe’s triumphant Ryder Cup side Colin Montgomerie and Ian Poulter are absentees – purely because they are not in the world’s top 50 or Europe’s top 20.

Team-mates Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia are grouped with American Davis Love, while Darren Clarke is with Open champion Todd Hamilton and David Toms.

Donald played with Woods for the first time at last year’s Open – and it was not a happy experience.

He missed the cut by five after rounds of 76 and 79.

The first round this week does not start until 11.30am, with the players being sent off the first and 10th tees.