O’Malley will be seeking to recapture the form which allowed him to share the spotlight with Tiger Woods in the Australian Open at Sydney’s Royal Lakes late last year.

He shone in the second round with a 66 – the low round of the day featuring six birdies. O’Malley was the only player not to shoot a birdie on that day, to be within one shot of Woods at the top of the leaders’ board at his home course.

O’Malley finished the tournament at two-under, 11 behind winner Greg Chalmers.

This followed his second to Matthew Guyatt in the New South Wales PGA Championship the previous week.

O’Malley shot three sub-par rounds of 68, 66, 64 to finish one stroke behind Guyatt on 12-under.

He will be hoping to recapture this type of form at Creswick on February 16-19.

The New South Welshman has been playing the European Tour since 1989, winning three events and twice finishing in the top 10 in the British Open.

He was seventh in 1997 and eighth in 2002.

The 46-year-old has also played in the US PGA and US Open.

O’Malley will boost entries which already include two-time Australian Masters winner Brad Hughes, Stephen Leaney, Scott Laycock, New Zealander Michael Long, Euan Walters, David McKenzie, Glenn Joyner and Anthony Gilligan.

Creswick will be the home of the Adroit Insurance Group Victorian PGA Championship for five years, until 2016.

Week-long activities begin at Creswick on Monday, February 13.