Clarke out of Classic after accident

Darren Clarke appears to be jinxed when it comes to four wheels after a mystery ‘traffic accident’ forced him to withdraw from this week’s Dubai Desert Classic.

The 2001 British Open champion was originally entered for the final event of the European Tour’s desert swing but his name was notably absent from the entry list over the weekend.

A query to his management company, ISM, brought a guarded response with a spokesman reporting: “Darren was involved in a minor traffic accident last week and is suffering from a bit of stiffness. That’s all we know.”