Struggle with rheumatism will keep Olazabal out

Jose Maria Olazabal, who won at Augusta National in 1994 and 1999, has so much joint pain that he'll have to sit this Masters out. He was problem-free most of 2009, but the pain returned this winter.

PALM HARBOR, Fla. (PA) -- Next month's Masters will have Tiger Woods, but it won’t have Jose Maria Olazabal.

The champion at Augusta National in both 1994 and 1999 -- he was Europe's last winner there -- the 44-year-old Spanish star is again suffering from rheumatism, and his manager Sergio Gomez said he will officially pull out of the season’s first major.

"He has pain in his shoulder, forearms and hands. He can't swing properly, so we won't be going," said Gomez.

"He is practicing a little bit, but for not much more than an hour,” he added. “If new miracle remedies help then he will be back, but traditional medicine is failing."

Olazabal, the favorite to succeed Colin Montgomerie as Ryder Cup captain, hasn’t played a tournament since finishing 14th at the Castellon Masters last October in his native Spain.

This will be the first Masters he has missed since 1996, when he spent the whole season on the sidelines after being diagnosed with rheumatoid polyarthritis.

There were fears that his future would be in a wheelchair at that stage, but the man who with Seve Ballesteros formed the most successful partnership in Ryder Cup history -- only two defeats in 15 matches together -- came back for an emotional second victory at Augusta three years later.

Only four years ago Olazabal finished tied for third there and was also part of the winning Ryder Cup team, his first appearance in the event since 1999. But he was able to play only seven European Tour events the following season and six in 2008.

Last year appeared more promising as he upped his tournaments to 16, only for the situation to worsen again over the winter.

Olazabal was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in Florida in November, and a month later was close to tears again when he made a lifetime achievement award to Ballesteros -- fighting his own battle with a brain tumor -- for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year program.

Ballesteros hopes to be at St. Andrews in July for a champions challenge on the eve of the British Open. Now he will also be hoping that his great friend makes a recovery in time to try to qualify.

A long absence from the game could well affect Olazabal's chances of being the 2012 Ryder Cup captain as well. Part of the thinking in giving Montgomerie the job for this year's match was that he was in close touch with the players.