In the last couple of weeks, I got a little over-enthusiastic about my practice sessions - I was obviously feeling a lot more confident about my physical fitness - and I will have to pay the price for getting carried away by missing the next two weeks.

Unfortunately, I am pulling out of this week’s Portugal Masters and Sergio Garcia’s tournament, Castello Masters, the week after. I developed a niggling pain in the left lower back while playing the Canon Open this week, and although the pain subsided to a large extent after some physio work by the Japan Golf Tour guys, there is still some tightness in the area.

The JGTO physios reckon it is because of the increased amount of practice time that I have been putting in lately. They don’t think it is serious, but a natural reaction of my body which is putting a bit of strain on the left side in an effort to protect the weaker right side.

I am staying put for a couple of days in Japan instead of heading off to Portugal. I will get a precautionary scan done, but the good news is that I should be up and running after a week’s rest and physio sessions.

This could not have happened at a worse time as I am trying to battle on several fronts as the year draws to an end. The biggest thing on my mind is to make sure I qualified for the Dubai World Championship by being in the top-60 of The Race to Dubai, and then try and improve to finish inside the top-30, which could have ensured me a start at the Open Championship. I also want to be inside the top-100 of the world rankings when the year ends. So much so that I had to let go the chance to play the Indian Open, which is being played this week in Delhi, because of the same reason.

I had a choice - I could have continued playing, but I think I am a wiser man now having missed several months in the last couple of years because of various injuries, most of them aggravated because of my eagerness to come back and play competitive golf. But not this time...I decided I want to play towards the end of the season and not sit at home recuperating from another injury. And hence the reason for my pulling out now.

I wish all my friends who are participating in the Hero Indian Open all the very best. I hope we will have an Indian holding aloft the trophy on Sunday - that would be the best tribute we can pay to sponsors Hero MotorCorp and organisers Indian Golf Union for everything that they have done for Indian golf.