Story highlights Donald withdraws from RSM Classic with chest pains

Former world No. 1 taken to hospital for seven hours of tests

Englishman will not return to the game until 2018

(CNN) Former world No. 1 golfer Luke Donald has been hospitalized following chest pains and will not return to the course until 2018.

The Englishman, 39, had been preparing to play in this week's RSM Classic at Sea Island Golf Club in Georgia.

But he was forced to withdraw on Thursday and was taken to South East Georgia Brunswick hospital for a series of precautionary heart tests.

"Well that wasn't quite the finish to my year I had in mind!!" Donald posted on his Instagram page.

"Had some chest pain last night and into this morning and it kept getting worse. After some medical advice, I had to withdraw and was shipped off to the hospital to get my heart looked at.