NORTON, Massachusetts, 1 September 2005 — Vijay Singh withdrew from the Deutsche Bank Championship on Tuesday because of back spasms, giving up a chance to defend his title in the tournament where he rose to the No. 1 in the world last year.

Singh injured himself playing table tennis with his son, Qass, the tournament said in a statement. The 42-year-old Fijian, a four-time winner this year, was examined by a doctor and will be reevaluated before deciding on future events.

“I have always defended a title on the PGA Tour and I am greatly disappointed I won’t be able to do so in Boston,” Singh said. “This tournament is very special to me and I hope to return to Boston in 2006. I hope they have a great tournament this weekend. I only wish I was there.” Singh birdied three of the last four holes to win the Deutsche Bank last year, beating Tiger Woods and 2003 winner Adam Scott by three strokes to take the No. 1 ranking Woods had held for a record 264 consecutive weeks.

Woods tops the field for the tournament that begins on Friday at the

Campbell, Goosen Head Field

at China Masters€

Meantime, US Open champion Michael Campbell will look to add an Asian victory to his phenomenal season at this week’s China Masters in Beijing.

Along the way, though, he’ll need to hold off a challenge from a surging Retief Goosen, the world No. 5, who earlier this month claimed his first title of the year at The International in Colorado.

“My game is pretty good right now. Over the last three months I’ve put in some solid performances in the majors and I’m very happy,” said New Zealand’s Campbell, the world No. 19 who tops of the European Order of Merit with winnings of $2,168,750.

Chinese veteran Zhang Lianwei, Asian Order of Merit leader Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand and defending champion Rahil Gangjee of India will also be chasing a win at the Asian Tour event, teeing off today at the par 72, 6,591-meter (7,211-yard) Jinghua Golf Club.

Goosen, who led the field into the final round of the US Open only to shoot 81 and finish tied for 11th, has stepped up his game in recent tournaments, tying for fifth at the British Open and sixth at the US PGA Championship.

“The year has been a bit inconsistent. It’s been three good rounds and one bad round. That’s been the problem really,” said the South African, who finished second in his last appearance in Beijing, at the Johnnie Walker Classic in April.

“I’ve worked a little harder on my putting and I started putting better ... I’ve been putting myself in positions to win but just not finishing off,” Goosen said. Campbell, who held off Woods to win his first major in June, has already won twice in Asia — at the 1994 Alfred Dunhill Masters in Indonesia and the 1999 Johnnie Walker Classic in Taiwan.

He said he passed on the chance to defend his Order of Merit lead in Europe to check out the best of the Asian competition at this week’s $300,000 tournament.

“Asian golf is getting better. Over the years I’ve seen a lot of young talent coming through,” said Campbell, who tied for fifth at the British Open last month and sixth at the US PGA Championship.