Mickelson WD opens up spot

Phil Mickelson has withdrawn from next month's Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

Left-hander's absence from Accenture Match Play creates extra spot

Phil Mickelson's withdrawal from next month's Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona is good news for those fighting to book a spot in the season's opening World Golf Championship event. The top 64 in the world rankings will do battle at the Ritz-Carlton GC at Dove Mountain from February 22-26 but Mickelson's exit means a spot will now be awarded to the 65th ranked player. Sweden's Alex Noren currently occupies the number 65 slot but others who could benefit include major winners Paul Lawrie (84) and Padraig Harrington (88). Mickelson has said he will miss the event to take a family holiday as it clashes with his children's spring break. The left-hander has never enjoyed much success in the 64-man tournament, managing nothing better than a quarter-final spot and that back in 2004. Harrington, who finished in 10th place at the Volvo Golf Champions in South Africa at the weekend, is part of the star-studded field this week at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the tournament where he started with a 65 last year but then was disqualified over a ball-moving incident picked up by an eagle-eyed television viewer. The sport's ruling bodies saw the unfairness of the disqualification and if the same was to happen this week it would be only a two-stroke penalty.