Western left open after Woods pull-out

Lemont, Illinois (Reuters): The last-minute withdrawal of Tiger Woods from this week's Western Open has left the event wide open for possible winners.

Woods, who pulled out of the tournament on Tuesday after citing an unspecified illness, would have been one of just fight players ranked in the world's top 20 taking part in this week's US PGA Tour stop.

The absence of the firmly-established world number one leaves just US PGA champion David Toms (sixth), Fiji's Vijay Singh (eighth) and Zimbabwe's Nick Price (10th) in the field from the world's top 10.

Bob Estes, who is world-ranked 16, Rocco Mediate (18th), Kenny Perry (19th) and Canadian Mike Weir (20th) are the other top-20 players competing this week at the Cog Hill Golf & Country Club.

Twice winner Price, who clinched the title in 1993 and 1994, will certainly fancy his chances on a course he clearly enjoys.

The popular 45-year-old has been one of the most consistent performers on the PGA Tour this season and, following his five-shot triumph at the Colonial tournament in May, has climbed to ninth on the U.S. money list.

Singh has also displayed impressive form this year, winning his 10th tour title in Houston in late March and producing five other top-10 finishes in 16 starts.

Like Price, he will be looking for a solid performance this week in his last outing before the British Open at Muirfield, which takes place from July 18-21.

Toms is another of the tour's most consistent performers this season but, despite seven top-IO finishes in 18 events, is yet to win a title this year.

Meanwhile in Straffan, Ireland, defending champion Darren Clarke is ready to take on a layout lengthened to 7,337 yards at one of his favorite venues when the European Open starts on Thursday.

Clarke became the first Irishman to win on home soil for 19 years when he kept out joint runners-up Padraig Harrington, Thomas Bjorn and Ian Woosnam last year.

The burly Ulsterman said on Wednesday he could not wait to play at the revamped K Club course.

But the 33-year-old Northern Irishman, looking for his second European Tour win of the year, said the lengthening of the 2006 Ryder Cup course would not be necessary if it were not for rapid advance of new technology in the game.

In Hutchinson, Kansas, Annika Sorenstam says it would be great for women's golf if Australia's Karrie Webb becomes the first player to win the US Women's Open three years in a row.

But it will not prevent the in-form Swede from trying to stop her great rival over the next four days at Prairie Dunes in Kansas.

Sorenstam comes into the championship on a phenomenal winning streak. She has completely dominated the women's game over the past 18 months, winning 15 times worldwide.

This year, she won the first major, the Kraft Nabisco Championship, and she has won on her last two outings at the Evian Masters in France and last week's ShopRite LPGA Classic in New Jersey.

Naturally, her confidence is sky high.

"I don't think my game could be any better," she said.

"At the moment, I don't seem to see any trouble on a golf course. I just see a big green and a big hole."