Poulter, Westwood drop out of Madrid Open

Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, fourth and fifth on this year’s European Order of Merit, both pulled out on the final day of the Telefonica Madrid Open.

First to go was Poulter. Lying 72nd and last after a third- round 76 he withdrew complaining of a wrist injury.

Westwood, joint 60th overnight, played two holes and birdied the second of them, but decided not to go on because of a neck strain.

“I woke up with it,” he said. “It’s probably the cold weather yesterday or maybe I slept funny.

“It wasn’t good on the range and I had some treatment. I thought I would give it a chance, but I could still feel it and didn’t want to make it worse for next week.”

The pair are both in the field for the Volvo Masters at Valderrama on the Costa del Sol and then become team-mates for Britain and Ireland against Continental Europe in the Seve Trophy match at El Saler near Valencia.

Another member of that side, Paul Casey, took a four-stroke lead into the final round at Club de Campo.