Next month's World Match Play championship at Wentworth is going ahead as scheduled
although no Americans have yet entered.
Organizers of the Oct. 11-14 tournament at Wentworth said they would not be
swayed by the decision to postpone the Ryder Cup for one year in the wake of last
week's terrorist attacks in the United States.
There have been concerns that the Match Play field could be weakened because
top players who had been scheduled for the cup at The Belfry in late September
won't now be playing in England.
``The postponement of the Ryder Cup and the understandable uncertainty over
whether some players are willing to travel means we cannot confirm the names of
all the 12 players at this stage,'' said Mark McCormack, who created the event
38 years ago.
Lee Westwood will defend the Match Play title he won at the 38th hole last
year.
Organizers said the field also would include U.S. Open titlist Retief Goosen
of South Africa, 1997 champion Vijay Singh, European tour players Colin Montgomerie,
Darren Clarke, homas Bjorn and Padraig Harrington, Canadian left-hander Mike Weir,
who won last year's World Championship of Golf American Express championship,
and Australia's Robert Allenby.
Organizers said that an announcement on the remaining three players in the
field would be made shortly. In the past, they have persuaded most of the winners
of major tournaments to take part but, so far, Goosen is the only one to commit
this year.
Tiger Woods (Masters), David Duval (British Open) and David Toms (PGA Championship),
all Americans, have yet to sign on.
