Organisers defend decision to overlook Clarke

THE organisers of the Cisco World Match Play Championship have defended their decision to snub Ryder Cup star Darren Clarke for this year’s tournament.

The Dungannon man, who helped steer Europe to victory at the Belfry last month, was overlooked for the 12-man event at Wentworth, which starts tomorrow.

As a result, he accused event organisers and global sports agents IMG of overlooking his matchplay record, producing a lacklustre field of players and filling the entry list with IMG clients.