McGuirk Misses Oceanico Tour Championship - 31/10/2007

ROBERT McGUIRK has been forced out of the 2005 Oceanico Tour Championship with a knee injury.

The Princes golfer (pictured ) has been one of the stars of the 2005 PGA EuroPro Tour, finishing third on the Order of Merit.

However, he has suffered the injury since taking victory in September's Ufford Park Classic and is sidelined until the New Year.

Another absentee at Palmares on Thursday will be Phil Worthington, who is having an operation to remove kidney stones.

Worthington was diagnosed with the illness before the recent European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage, but played through the pain to finish 45th.

Kieran Staunton, who won his European Tour card, has also withdrawn from the Palmares field, as has Challenge Tour-bound Inder van Weerelt.

Meanwhile, Tuesday's first Pro-Am ahead of the Tour Championship was forced to be cut to just nine holes per team after an unexpected overnight torrential thunderstorm left the course flooded.

PGA officials joined Palmares groundstaff in tending to the greens and were able to get play underway in late morning.