Chris Wood: My support team were a massive help at Wales Open

I NEARLY had to withdraw from the Wales Open at Celtic Manor last week. I had to walk off the course in practice last Wednesday afternoon after just six holes because of my back. I had complete muscle spasm, and could hardly bend down.

I went straight to see my trainer, Andy Wadsworth, on Wednesday night at his gym and we spent an hour stretching it and doing exercises until 9pm. He came with me the next morning to Celtic Manor to help me warm it up, but I didn't want to play.

Between him and Mitch. my coach. they convinced me to give it a go. Somehow. I got round in one-over-par and, as soon as I finished, we went to see my physio, Rich Bricknell, to continue the work on it.

Between the three of them, they got me through the week. Andy had said to me that by Sunday I would feel fine. He was right. So 72, 67, 74, 71 was a respectable effort, I thought. It's on a week like that when I really appreciate the team of people that I work with more than ever.

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It was lucky I was staying at home and the event was at Celtic Manor, I could have been out in China or somewhere without them. Talking of Celtic Manor, it was the best I have seen it. I have played the Wales Open, won this year by Thongchai Jaidee, pictured, three times now and each year the course grows on me.

At the start of the week, it was playing hard and running due to the hot weather we have had, but by Sunday, after rain over the weekend, it was playing a lot softer. I hit a shot on to the 18th green on Sunday that didn't pitch that far from the pin and spun back into the water off the front of the green.

It was only a soft pitching wedge to try to take spin off it, but it must have landed in a really soft spot on the green. Garby (former tour pro Ian Garbutt), from my management company ISM, had been stood by the green for over an hour and said nobody pitched the ball that far up the green and spun back into the drink.

I just feel like that's the way it's going for me at the moment. I'm not quite getting what I deserve. Again, I hit a lot of great putts that just touched the edge of the hole and missed. I just have to stay patient and keep doing what I'm doing, because I'm working on the right things.

This week is a Wednesday start in Sweden, so I left my flat at 4.30am on Monday to drive to Heathrow for a 7.30am flight. It was funny driving through the city centre seeing people stumbling around after the Jubilee parties.

I haven't been here before, but what a golf course. It is immaculate, best greens of the year so far by a long way, lots of water and it's very wet, so it will be playing every yard of its potential 8,000.