General / Editor / 21 March 2007 /

A back injury has forced English golfer Justin Rose to withdraw from this week's WGC-CA Championship in Florida.

The Hampshire man has been told to take a break from golf after a medical examination revealed that he has a disc problem.

Rose told his official website: "Unfortunately last week on my week off I had a few twinges in my back. This has required more treatment and rest than originally expected, so I have been getting intensive treatment."

Meanwhile, Rose's compatriot, David Howell, insists he is now over his persistent shoulder and back problems of the past 10 months and looking forward to trying to improve his game at the event at Doral's Blue Monster course.

"It's a marathon, not a sprint, as the famous saying goes," Howell said. "We have the first major coming up and if my game is coming on now - there's no better time to play poorly than January, February, March in this game.

"From now on in, you really want to be on your game and I'm hoping that's going to be the case."

Howell can be backed at 180 to triumph in Florida, while 2006 winner, Tiger Woods, is the 3.5 favourite.

Vijay Singh comes into the tournament in good form having won the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday and he is available at 15.

World number three Phil Mickelson has come in for support at 19, while big-hitting South African Ernie Els is trading at 20.

Of the rest of the English contingent, Luke McDonald, Paul Casey and Ian Poulter are available at 48, 55 and 190 respectively.

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