Ollie set for Qatar return

Spaniard ready for comeback after injury problems

Last updated: 23rd January 2008

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Olazabal: Poised for return

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Jose Maria Olazabal is poised to return to competitive action next week having entered the Qatar Masters.

The Spaniard missed the latter part of 2007 through injury, prompting fears of an extended spell on the sidelines like the 18 months he spent out of the game in the mid-1990s.

That time his ailment was diagnosed as a prolapsed disc which caused painful rheumatic problems.

He has suffered similar pain this time around with an initial problem in his knee spreading to his shoulder and groin.

Doctors have been unable to pinpoint the exact cause of the problems, but having treated the symptoms he started practising again before Chrsitmas.

Already assured of a trip to the 2008 Ryder Cup as one of captain Nick Faldo's assistants, Olazabal still retains hope of qualifying as a player for an eighth time and now looks poised to begin his hunt for qualifying points in Qatar.

"I was worried I was going to be out for a long time again because of the amount of pain I went through," he stated.

"I forced myself to play the PGA (his last appearance) to fulfil my number of tournaments in the States even though I knew my condition was not the best.

"I've seen a lot of doctors and they've done all kinds of tests. They know it's some kind of rheumatism, but they don't know what has caused it and it's just a matter of treating the symptoms until they go away."