Martin Laird has turned down the chance of a near £700,000 first-prize, a bundle of world-ranking points and the possibility to kick-start his Ryder Cup campaign.

The Scot and five other players have elected not to contest the HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

Entry to the tournament closes tomorrow night and other than Laird, world No.10 Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Australians Jason Day and Adam Scott, and Matt Kuchar will not attend.

Laird qualified when he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Blake Smith, his spokesman, said Laird's last events this year will be the World Cup at Hainan Island in China later this month and the Chevron World Challenge in Los Angeles a week later.

Laird has yet to join the Tour and so has likely missed most of the furore being generated by Tom Lewis.

Having won the Portugal Masters, the youngster has risen to third on the Ryder Cup points table, and has been highlighted as a likely candidate for the wild-card slot when the European team is announced.

"To win only your third tournament as a professional was very impressive," said Jose Maria Olazabal, Europe's Ryder Cup captain.

"He had done very well at The Open, but to win in Portugal is going to be a huge boost for him."

l Rory McIlroy was in a duel with Keegan Bradley for the PGA Grand Slam of Golf title in Bermuda today.

They opened the 36-hole event for this season's four major winners with four-under-par 67s yesterday, while Charl Schwartzel carded a 74 and Darren Clarke slumped to a 77.

McIlroy was five behind Bradley after 13 holes, but got back on terms with three birdies against two bogeys. "I finished really, really well," he said.