Family matters as Clarke ends season early

DARREN CLARKE will not play again this year after curtailing his season to be with his wife Heather, who has fallen ill.

The world number 12 returned from his first tournament win of the year at the Taiheiyo Masters in Japan nine days ago to discover his wife could be seriously ill.

He has pulled out of this week's Nelson Mandela Invitational in South Africa and next week's Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City and is not expected to play until next year.

"It is a difficult time for all of us and I would ask that our privacy is respected," said Clarke.