Woosnam faces large fine after hasty exit

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Harrington's day to discard the bridesmaid tag

Ian Woosnam failed to turn up for the final round of the Volvo Masters in Jerez yesterda and may be hit with a heavy fine for his disqualification.

The 43-year-old did not appear for his tee time to play in his group with Australia's Peter O'Malley and England's Justin Rose yesterday. The Welshman flew out of Jerez on Saturday night en route for Kiawah Island and next week's inaugural team Warburg Cup between the United States and the Rest of the World.

Woosnam did not, though, inform the tour of his decision and therefore faces a fine. The Welshman had carded rounds of 74 and 77 in the wind-battered event at the Montecastillo Golf Club to lie joint-57th on seven-over-par 151.

Strong winds blowing across the course on Saturday then forced officials to reduce the event to just three rounds, instead of the scheduled four. But the 1991 Masters champion thought the event would still be played out over four rounds, involving a Monday finish, and decided to leave Spain that night so as to arrive at Kiawah Island in good time for the Friday start.

In Japan, David Duval warmed up for this week's World Cup with victory at the Dunlop Phoenix tournament, but not before he almost blew a six-shot lead.

The Open champion dropped three shots in the final five holes in Miyazaki, before he edged out Japan's Taichi Teshima in a play-off. Duval, who had led the Japan Tour event from the first round, birdied the first extra hole after he had finished with a 69 for a 15-under-par total.

Duval will team up with Tiger Woods in Japan next week to defend the title they won in Argentina last year.