Westy pulls out of Players

Englishman to skip Sawgrass due to hectic schedule

Last updated: 29th April 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Westy pulls out of Players

Westwood: skipping Sawgrass

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Lee Westwood has confirmed he will skip next week's Players Championship because of a busy schedule.

The Englishman revealed he had taken the decision with a hectic calendar of events in Europe on the horizon over the next month.

"It was a difficult decision pulling out of the Players, but one I felt obliged to take considering my schedule for Europe through the summer," Westwood said in a statement.

"I've done quite a bit of travelling to and from America this year and would have to re-organise my schedule again to fit in another trip."

Westwood, who finished joint 34th at the Ballatine's Championship in Korea last week, has enjoyed varying fortunes at the Players Championship, finishing fifth on his debut in 1998 and sixth a year later, but missing the cut in three of the past five years.

However, his decision still comes as something of a surprise with the tournament at TPC Sawgrass in Florida regarded as perhaps the most prestigious event outside of the four majors.

The world's top 50 are exempt for the event which this year runs from May 7-10 with a purse of US$9.5 million.