Vegas given a miss by Tim Wilkinson

GOLF

Manawatu's PGA professional, Tim Wilkinson, won't be playing in one more tournament on the PGA Tour after all and will return to Palmerston North to get ready for the next season.

Wilkinson has been off the circuit for four months after an operation on his injured thumb, and had contemplated playing in Las Vegas this week.

This would have meant he would have played one official year on the tour, and it had implications for his retirement fund and his medical exemption for next year.

But his coach, Andre White, said Wilkinson just hadn't played enough.

"He hadn't had enough drivers in his hand and hadn't played enough. It was important to him, but not critical."

White said Wilkinson had too much self-belief to believe that his tenure on the tour would be only short term. "He will be out there for long enough."

There was little chance he could damage the hand because it had been repaired, but there was a danger of him swinging poorly and losing confidence as a result, White said.

Wilkinson is yet to decide whether he will play the Australasian Tour events in November and December or when he will resume action on the PGA Tour next year.

- © Fairfax NZ News