LONDON -- Darren Clarke will continue his break from golf after announcing on Sunday that his wife, Heather, had died of cancer.

Heather Clarke died at age 39 at London's Royal Marsden Hospital in the early hours of Sunday. Throughout her illness, she had insisted that Clarke should continue playing but he decided to stop after the British Open three weeks ago so that he could be with her and their two children, 8-year-old Tyrone and 5-year-old Conor.

"Heather's courage and bravery throughout the last two years when she was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer has been an inspiration," Clarke said in a statement. "Heather never complained once throughout her ordeal and we will all miss her greatly. She was a wonderful and enormously supportive wife, mother and friend."

Clarke, who did not announce any funeral details, said he will return to the game "when he feels ready." He had already withdrawn from this week's PGA Championship at Medinah, Illinois.

Paul McGinley, who is a close friend of the Clarke family, said he had also withdrawn from the PGA Championship so that he could go to the funeral.

"Our two families are very much intertwined, obviously me and Darren out here, but Heather and (McGinley's wife) Ali were the best of friends and our kids are in the same class at school," said the Irishman, who is playing at the KLM in the Netherlands.

"So it is a tough, tough time for us all. I don't know how I am going to concentrate today."

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