Stenson won't be in Shanghai

The European Tour's flagship event in China suffered a new blow on Tuesday when it was confirmed Henrik Stenson had withdrawn after the birth of his third child.

The BMW Masters, which begins at Lake Malaren on Thursday, was already reeling from world No 1 Rory McIlroy's decision last week to pull out.

It lost another of its big stars in the Swede, who last year won the USPGA Tour's Fedex Cup and the European Tour's Race to Dubai standings.