• PGA Tour

Westwood decides to skip Players

Lee Westwood nearly conquered Sawgrass, and its famous 17th hole, last year - but will not be back for another attempt in 2011. © Getty Images

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World No. 1 Lee Westwood has decided to skip this year's Players Championship, the richest event in golf.

No longer a member of the PGA Tour, preferring instead to show loyalty to the European Tour and spend more time with his family, Westwood is consequently restricted to just three appearances on the US circuit outside of the year's majors and World Golf Championship events, and has decided the tournament at Sawgrass - widely regarded as golf's fifth major - will not be one of them.

"There is a five-week gap between The Masters and the Match Play in Spain [on May 19-22, one week after the Players] and I want to play a couple of events in there," said Westwood. "I've said I will support the European Tour, so I am going to Asia."

Westwood has previously done well at the Florida event, including a tied-fourth finish in 2010 that could have been so much better if not for a final-round 74 that saw him lose his third-round lead. Nevertheless the result still netted the Englishman $358,150, his share of a $9.5 million total purse that was the biggest in the game last season.

The Worksop golfer has made his three PGA Tour event choices based on practicalities. He will attend the Honda Classic in Florida in March as it is sandwiched between two World Golf Championship events in the same area, then the Houston Open at the end of the same month to warm up for the following week's Masters, before making his final appearance at the Fedex St. Jude Classic in June where he is defending champion.

"It's something I can't control," Westwood added.

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