Eight stars on missing list for Wentworth

EIGHT players including Sergio Garcia and the world’s top four - Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els - have pulled out of the HSBC World Match Play championship at Wentworth in two weeks’ time.

Defending champion Els is unavailable following knee surgery, while Garcia, Woods, Singh, Mickelson, Chris DiMarco, Fred Couples and Davis Love have all turned down the chance to play.

For the second year running Bernhard Langer has stepped in as one of the reserves. Last October the 48-year-old German knocked out Singh in the opening round, but then was beaten by Miguel Angel Jimenez.