Injured Casey falls from Earth

Gary Meenaghan

• Last Updated: November 14. 2009 10:15PM UAE / November 14. 2009 6:15PM GMT

Paul Casey has been ruled out of next week’s inaugural Dubai World Championship, the lucrative season-ending tournament that could have seen him top the European Tour money list.

The world No 5 was forced to withdraw from the final round of the HSBC Champions tournament last week in Shanghai after suffering a recurrence of the shoulder injury that kept him out for almost three months earlier in the season.

Having flown to the United States for scans, the Englishman was advised not to risk further injury by taking part at Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Earth Course at the weekend. “Paul will not play, sadly,” said Casey’s manager, Guy Kinnings.

“His intercostal muscle is not torn again, but it is inflamed and he cannot risk it in Dubai.”

Casey, 32, will miss the chance to finish No1 on the Race to Dubai money list, but he remains in line to receive a substantial Order of Merit bonus.

So long as Casey remains fifth in the standings, his total bonus stands to be worth more than £316,000 (Dh1.9m). The minimum he could receive would be the £113,000 15th place award.

The Dubai World Championship is exclusive to the leading 60 money- winners on the Tour, but with this year’s Abu Dhabi Golf Championship winner ruled out and American Anthony Kim opting not to contend, the field will now be made up of the top 58 players.

The first half of this year was the best of Casey’s career. He won in Abu Dhabi, reached the final of the Accenture Match Play in Arizona, broke his US Tour duck at the Houston Open and then captured Europe’s flagship BMW PGA title at Wentworth.

That lifted him to third in the world, but then came the injury as he worked on his swing with American coach Peter Kostis.

The leader of the Race to Dubai come next Sunday will take home more than £900,000, while next week’s tournament offers a £750,000 first prize.

Rory McIlroy, 20, is favourite to win this season’s race after a round of 65 took him into third place at the Hong Kong Open, while Race to Dubai leader Lee Westwood lagged back in 33rd place.

Dubai has been good to McIlroy, who claimed his first professional title earlier this year when he triumphed in the Dubai Desert Classic. The European Tour’s Order of Merit was rebranded as the Race to Dubai for this season in a sponsorship deal with Leisurecorp.

gmeenaghan@thenational.ae