Golf: Injured Els gives up his title

Defending champion Ernie Els has reluctantly withdrawn from the Scottish Open in a bid to be fit for next week's Open Championship at Lytham.

The South African yesterday gave up his fight to play at Loch Lomond after medical advice about a back problem.

Els said: 'To be honest, I was very tempted to play tomorrow simply because it is Loch Lomond, but my doctor advised me not to.

'I have played before when I am not fully fit and it has done me more harm than good.

'I am confident I will be playing in the Open if the progress I have made over the last 10 days carries on.' Els, 32, has been having regular treatment with an osteopath since finishing 66th in last month's U.S. Open at Southern Hills, Tulsa.

'It is doubly disappointing because Loch Lomond is certainly one of the best courses we play on all year,' he added.

'For me, the timing of the Scottish Open is perfect as it comes the week before the Open Championship. I am one of those players who likes proper competition before a Major, rather than practice. 'Unfortunately the back injury has meant I just couldn't make it.

'It is one of the lower vertebrae that is the problem - L5 it is called - and when I originally aggravated it, it must have been quite bad because everything became pretty badly inflamed.

'I had a quiet game with my dad at Wentworth on Tuesday just to test the area out and although it didn't give me any real problems, there was a twinge of pain once I had finished.' Zimbabwean Mark McNulty has also been forced to pull out of the Scottish Open because of an elbow injury.

Their places are taken by Carl Petterson, of Sweden, and New Zealander Elliot Boult.