Rory McIlroy will miss next week's BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth due to an on-going rib injury.
The world No.2 suffered the problem in the off-season after hitting a lot of balls in practice trying to decide on new equipment after former supplier Nike decided to stop producing clubs last year.
It flared up as he lost a playoff to Graeme Storm at the BMW SA Open in January and he did not feature again until the WGC-Mexico Championship in March where he finished four shots behind winner Dustin Johnson.
The Northern Irishman resumed an active schedule but felt discomfort at the Players Championship and despite a scan revealing he has suffered no new injury, he will not tee it up at the European Tour's flagship event.
"Having had a reaction to my earlier rib injury, I have been advised to take a conservative approach to my recovery which unfortunately means I have to withdraw from the BMW PGA Championship next week," McIlroy said.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
"It's a disappointing decision to have to make but I have to ensure I make a full recovery. I will now continue the process of preparing my game for the US Open and the rest of the season."
McIlroy, 28, is a previous winner at Wentworth, with his victory in 2014 kicking off a brilliant summer that saw him claim the Open Championship, the US PGA Championship and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
