Andalucia Masters event falls foul of government cuts

Next month's Andalucia Masters at Valderrama has been cancelled after the regional government withdrew its funding.

George O'Grady, the European Tour chief executive, said yesterday he was "extremely disappointed" with the decision after the Junta de Andalucia's tourism office had said on Monday it was pulling its sponsorship as part of budget cuts for Spain's heavily indebted regions imposed by the central government. It had agreed to provide €3m (£2.39m) in prize-money for the tournament, due to have been staged from 18 to 21 October and won last year by Sergio Garcia.

"This is extremely disappointing news, especially at such a late date," O'Grady said. "We feel the disappointment not only for our members and all committed to broadcasting, but also for the many visitors who coincide their vacations with the tournament."