David Howell has withdrawn from the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles as he continues to struggle with a torn abdominal muscle that has sidelined the Ryder Cup player for seven weeks.
The Englishman was hoping to return to action for the first time since withdrawing from the US Open in June, when he tore the muscle after the first round at Pinehurst No.2. But after testing himself during the Pro-Am over the PGA Centenary Course, felt he was not yet strong enough to compete for four rounds and had no option but to withdraw.
“I just felt very weak towards the end of the Pro-Am,” said Howell. “And a little nervous. All day I found it a lot harder than I thought. Today was a big test for me and Gleneagles is a long course, a lot of thick rough and windy so it was a tough golfing day. It seems harder work than hitting balls on the practice ground which is what I have been doing. It didn’’t come through as well as I would have liked. I think I would struggle to play five days golf in a row. I had no choice but to withdraw.”
Howell is due to play in next week’’s US PGA Championship at Baltusrol and has his fingers crossed that he will still be able to play the season’’s final Major Championship.
“There are obviously concerns about next week as a week is not a long time in terms of the body healing. It is going to be touch and go. The way things go injuries take longer than you hope. We’’ll have to wait and see. The NEC is the following week where there is no cut and all four rounds and sets up for a sensible starting point. We’’ll see. I may well go next week and see how I feel come Thursday. This is more of a case of withdrawing hoping I will be okay for next week. But I am clearly not going to be perfect come Monday next week. We will have to wait and see.
“I’’ve looked at Baltusrol in the magazines and it is going to be set up tough like a US Open and coming out of the heavy stuff or hitting a fat shot is the hardest thing to do at the moment. It doesn’’t bode too well. I am not overly hopeful but that is not to say I won’’t go out and see how I am.”
