Golf: Roe's injury worry

Golf

Mark Roe visits a specialist next week, increasingly worried about an injury to his left knee. Roe, who took the United States by storm on his US Open debut this month, left Shinnecock Hills milking the plaudits but nursing his wounds.

He was forced to retire from the French Open last week when the pain became too much to bear after the first round. Although he intends trying to play through the pain in the BMW International Open which begins in Munich today, he is not hopeful of completing all four rounds.

"If the injury flares up I will pull out," said Roe, who withdrew from the pro-am at the St Eurach Lland-Und Club yesterday as a precaution.

Roe is anxious to keep alive his slim hopes of a Ryder Cup spot. He lies 93rd in the Order of Merit and is scheduled to miss the Murphy's Irish Open next week.

Roe faces an impressive field in Munich chasing a first prize of pounds 91,660, with Bernhard Langer the favourite. Langer, who tops the Order of Merit, is seeking a victory for the 10th time on home soil on the Volvo Tour, but the BMW event, launched in 1989, has so far escaped his grasp.

Unusually for a European Tour event, players in the first round will be allowed to use preferred lies, as the course has been affected by rain.