Clarke disappointed he can't defend his title

Darren Clarke has been forced to withdraw from the defence of his Accenture World Matchplay Championship title in Melbourne in two weeks' time due to family circumstances. He is the latest in a list of top-ranked players to decide not to play in the championship, which has almost £5 million in prizemoney.

While many of his peers decided not to compete in the first World Golf Championship of the year because of its timing - from January 3rd-7th - and the location, Clarke had intended to play and only informed the sponsors of his unavailability yesterday because of a family concern that requires him to remain at home.

"It's a major disappointment as I was really looking forward to defending my title," said Clarke, "but, in the circumstances, I need to be with my family."

Clarke has also withdrawn from the following week's Mercedes Championship in Kapalua, Hawaii where Tiger Woods - whom Clarke beat in the final of this year's world matchplay in La Costa - will defend his title in the US Tour's first tournament of the season.

Currently ranked number 12 in the world, Clarke - who finished runner-up to Lee Westwood in the European Tour Order of merit this year - is the latest player to withdraw from a championship that has been decimated by defections.

Woods, Westwood, Phil Mickelson, Colin Montgomerie and Davis Love are among the top players by-passing the event which offers $1m (US) to the winner.

As things stand, Ernie Els, the world number two, is the only player in the top seven in the official world rankings who will definitely play. Although entries were due to be finalised last Wednesday, organisers have given David Duval, the world number three, to this weekend to confirm whether he will play. Hal Sutton (ranked eighth), Vijay Singh (ninth) and Tom Lehman (10th) have all entered.

While the event was originally designed for the top 64 players in the world rankings, organisers may have to drop down as far as 100th to fill the field for the head-to-head championship.

Clarke's withdrawal means that the European challenge - already deprived of Sergio Garcia, Jesper Parnevik, Jose Maria Olazabal and Miguel Angel Jimenez - is further weakened.

It also reduces the Irish representation from three to two, with Padraig Harrington, ranked 24th in the world, and Paul McGinley, ranked 68th, seeking to take over Clarke's mantle as champion.

Harrington, meanwhile, has signed a new three-year deal thought to be worth around £2 million to continue playing Wilson clubs. The contract makes the 29-yearold Dubliner the company's top player worldwide.