CASEY FORCED OUT

Paul Casey's hopes of winning the inaugural Race to Dubai title are in tatters after the Ryder Cup star was forced to pull out of the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions today.

Casey quit the tournament after suffering a recurrence of the rib injury which has blighted his season.

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 and 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 tonight 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.

"He has felt pain before, but he felt it severely enough," said Casey's manager Guy Kinnings.

"We always agreed that if he felt 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."

Despite his lengthy spell out of action, wins in Abu Dhabi and at May's BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth had left Casey fifth in the Race to Dubai and well in touch with leader Lee Westwood.

Casey was on course for a healthy return from this week's new WGC event, but will now only pick up a nominal amount and with an appearance in Dubai seemingly unlikely, another bid for the Harry Vardon trophy appears to be over.

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."