Injury has forced Paul Casey to withdraw from next week's Dubai World Championship presented by: DP World.
Casey, fifth on the Race to Dubai, has taken advice not to risk further injury to the shoulder muscle he tore in practice for The Open in July.
The Englishman spent nearly three months on the sidelines before returning at the Volvo World Match Play Championship a fortnight ago, but then withdrew early in the final round of last week's WGC - HSBC Champions in Shanghai.
The 32 year old World Number Five flew from China to the United States for an MRI scan in the hope that he would be given the all-clear to compete in the Middle East.
But manager Guy Kinnings said: "Paul will not play sadly.
"His intercostal muscle is not torn again, but it is inflamed and he cannot risk it in Dubai."
Casey will now seek further opinion before making a decision on when he will be fit enough to return.
The top 60 on The Race to Dubai at the conclusion of the UBS Hong Kong Open qualify for the season’s finale, to be played over the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Casey is still in line for The Race to Dubai Bonus Pool.
The European Tour Members' handbook states: "To be eligible for bonus pool prize money a player must participate in the Dubai World Championship unless he has a mitigating circumstance."
It says further on that a player withdrawing "for reasons of injury, serious disability or personal emergency which is deemed acceptable by the Chief Executive (in his absolute determination) will remain eligible to receive any applicable bonus pool payment."
The first half of this year was the best of Casey's career. He won in Abu Dhabi, reached the final of the WGC - Accenture Match Play in Arizona, claimed his maiden US Tour victory at the Houston Open and then captured The European Tour’s flagship event – the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club.
That lifted him to third in the Official World Golf Rankings but then came the injury as he worked on his swing with American coach Peter Kostis.
Just three years ago Casey was battling with Padraig Harrington for the Order of Merit title, but was struck by food poisoning at the final event.
