Paul Casey's hopes of winning the inaugural Race to Dubai title are virtually over.
Ryder Cup star heading back to America for consultation
Paul Casey's hopes of winning the inaugural Race to Dubai title are virtually over after he was forced to pull out of the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions.
The world number four suffered a recurrence of the rib injury which has affected him since the Open.
In a bid to remain in the hunt for a maiden order of merit title, Casey returned to action at last week's Volvo World Match Play Championship after three months on the sidelines.
He lost all three matches in Spain but was six under par through three rounds in Shanghai despite insisting all week he had still not fully recovered from the muscle injury.
But after just two holes of his fourth round he was forced to withdraw as a precaution. He has also pulled out of next week's Hong Kong Open, the penultimate event of the European Tour season.
The 32-year-old will head to America on Sunday night to consult with his long-time specialist, with a decision on whether he will play in the season-ending Dubai World Championship later this month expected next week.
Pain
"He has felt pain before, but he felt it severely enough," said Casey's manager Guy Kinnings.
"We always agreed that if he felt it that he would stop. He is going to withdraw from next week and get back and see the specialist who he has been working with and get it scanned and have a look and see.
"He is sufficiently concerned to do that straightaway, he doesn't know if this means recurrence and out for a while or just a worrying tweak."
In 2006, Casey led the money list heading into the final event but was affected by illness at the season-ending Volvo Masters and was ultimately pipped to top spot by Padraig Harrington.
"He is hugely disappointed about not being able to play Hong Kong," added Kinnings.
"He very much felt he had a chance to win the Race to Dubai, that's why he had been aiming to come back last week and this week and play in Hong Kong."
