No Gleneagles for grounded leading Bristol golfer Wood

Bristol's Chris Wood will miss this week's Johnnie Walker Championships at Gleneagles to recover from the mental and physical exertions of the last four months.

Wood decided against playing in the event to continue treatment on a back injury picked up at the USPGA championship at Hazeltine.

He also admitted that he needed a mental break from the game to help him recharge his batteries for a final push towards the end of season Race to Dubai tournament.

Wood said: "I just need a week off to get myself in the right frame of mind.

"I have been struggling with my game for the last few weeks and it is really mentally tiring when you are having to grind out a good round when you are not on top form.

"I've had 18 months of virtually non-stop golf and I knew that at some stage this might happen. The good news is that I'm now able to plan confidently for next year, having secured my card."

Despite missing four cuts at the start of his professional career, Wood, 21, has made the weekend in each of the 12 tournaments he has played in since Portugal at the start of April.

He currently stands 36th in Europe and 61st in the world.

He added: "You can never relax, because if you don't play then there will always be players who will be leap-frogging you in the rankings.

"But you have to decide your schedule to give yourself the best opportunity of winning, and sometimes that means sitting out some tournaments.

"The injury I suffered in America is still needing attention and I played in Holland still feeling it."

For Wood his American experience at the USPGA was a bitter-sweet one but one which he hopes to learn from for his next Major challenge - The Masters next April.

He said: "At Hazeltine I never really felt comfortable - partly that was due to my back but it was also down to getting used to the way they do things over there.

"The practice rounds were mad. It was taking five-and-a-half hours because the crowds were so big.

"The experience will put me in good shape for The Masters and I'm hoping that I might be able to play in a tournament the week before Augusta.

"This winter will also be a lot less hectic. I'm planning several weeks off to spend with my coach and taking a holiday in December."

● Bristol's David Dixon, Portishead's John Morgan and Yeovil's Marcus Higley will all be teeing it up at at Gleneagles in the tournament, which starts tomorrow.