The economy claims the British Masters

Greg Norman won it twice. So did Seve Ballesteros. Lee Trevino won it in 1985, Nick Faldo in '89. Its gilded history notwithstanding, the British Masters was unable to weather the economic storm, and, for this year at least, won't be played.

It had been scheduled for Sept. 17-20, but it was unable to find a new sponsor in time. The Austrian Golf Open, scheduled for June 11-14, will be shifted to the British Masters' September date.

Another Masters has also succumbed -- the Asian Tour's Masters of Asia -- for a variety of reasons, among them the loss of Volvo as a sponsor and the emergence of the OneAsia Tour.

-- John Strege