• World No2 has been unable to shake off injury picked up in off-season • ‘It’s a disappointing decision but I have to ensure I make a full recovery’

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Rory McIlroy will miss the BMW PGA Championship that starts on 25 May at Wentworth owing to a rib injury.

The world No2 suffered the problem in the off-season when hitting a lot of balls in practice trying to decide on new equipment after his former supplier Nike decided to stop producing clubs.

It flared up as he lost a play-off to Graeme Storm in the South African Open in January and he did not feature again until the WGC-Mexico Championship in March where he finished four shots behind the winner, Dustin Johnson.

McIlrory resumed an active schedule but felt discomfort at The Players Championship and, despite a scan revealing he has suffered no new injury, he will not tee off at the European Tour’s flagship event.

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“Having had a reaction to my earlier rib injury, I have been advised to take a conservative approach to my recovery which unfortunately means I have to withdraw from the BMW PGA Championship next week,” he said. “It’s a disappointing decision to have to make but I have to ensure I make a full recovery. I will now continue the process of preparing my game for the US Open and the rest of the season.”

The 28-year-old is a previous winner at Wentworth, with his victory in 2014 kicking off a brilliant summer in which he claimed the Open, the US PGA Championship and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

The European Tour chief executive, Keith Pelley, said: “There is no question that Rory will be missed at the championship but his health is the most important thing and we wish him a speedy recovery.”