Westwood to skip Players Championship

By Andrew Both

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) - Lee Westwood will skip next week's Players Championship in Florida due to a busy schedule, the world number 15 told Reuters on Wednesday.

"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 by email.

"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."

Englishman Westwood, who finished joint 34th at the Ballatine's Championship in Korea last week, is taking a break before ramping up his busy schedule in Europe next month.

He has a mixed record at the Players Championship, finishing equal fifth on his debut in 1998 and equal sixth the following year.

However, it has been slim pickings at the Sawgrass TPC in recent years, with three missed cuts in his past five starts.

The Players Championship is perhaps the most prestigious event in professional golf outside the four majors and the Ryder Cup. The top 50 players in the world are exempt and this year's purse is $9.5 million (6.4 million pounds).

The tournament runs from May 7 to 10.

(Editing by Alison Wildey)