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Macau - Ian Poulter has apologised for turning his back on competing at this week's British Masters and explained why he is contesting the Asian Tour's Macau Open instead.
The Englishman has just returned from a near five-month foot injury and after day two scoring has a share of 11th place, albeit just three strokes from the lead.
Poulter had last played at May's PGA Tour stop at Fort Worth in Texas where he missed the cut, before European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke appointed him as a Hazeltine vice-captain.
But instead of returning to the European Tour, as many would have expected - to tee-up in an event Poulter hosted last year at nearby Woburn - the 40-year old joined Clarke competing in Macau.
With Poulter to make his 2016/2017 PGA season debut in next week's CIMB Classic in Malaysia, the 16-time Tour winner felt it more appropriate he "acclimatise" for the Malaysian event by competing in Macau.
Poulter indicated he needs to play in Malaysia given the PGA Tour afforded him a 10-event "Major Medical Extension" to earn 218 FedEx Cup points, or $US 347,634, in that period to remain exempt for the remainder of the 2016/16 season.
"I'm sorry to miss the British Masters, and I know everyone is disappointed, but there is a simple reason for that," he stated.
"I only have a very limited amount of tournaments to regain my PGA Tour status in coming back from the medical exemption," he said.
"I have ten events and that first event is next week in Malaysia, and I really wanted to be on a similar time zone so that I could play that event and be as fresh as possible.
"I know it's disappointing as I would love to be there at the British Masters as hosting it last year at Woburn was a huge thrill and a huge honour.
"It's just a time zone thing. I do need to be fresh for Malaysia."
After recording seven birdies on day one to share the lead in Macau, Poulter's second day effort was a mix of three birdies and just as many bogeys but also a double bogey.
