Table tennis injury rules Singh out of title defence

Golf Digest/Us Tour: World number two Vijay Singh will miss this week's Deutsche Bank Championship in Massachusetts after suffering a freak injury. The Fijian's quest to return to the top of the world rankings will have to be put on hold for at least a week.

Singh suffered back spasms while playing table tennis with his son, Qass, at their Ponte Vedra Beach home.

He was examined by his personal physician and his condition will be re-evaluated over the weekend before he finds out the full extent of the damage.

Last year, Singh won this event by three strokes to overtake Tiger Woods for the number one spot after his record run of 264 weeks at the top.

"I have always defended a title on the PGA Tour and I am greatly disappointed I won't be able to do so in Boston," Singh said. "This tournament is very special to me and I hope to return to Boston in 2006."

Singh is also scheduled to defend his Canadian Open title in Vancouver next week.

Singh's withdrawal leaves Woods as the only player in the top 10 competing in the $5.5 million event. With five victories this season - including the US Masters and British Open - Woods has pulled clear in the race for the PGA Tour's Player of the Year award. The tournament begins tomorrow with a rare Monday finish.

Brad Faxon, winner at last week's Buick Championship in nearby Cromwell, Connecticut, will have the galleries on his side. "I love playing close to home," said Faxon, a resident of Barrington, Rhode Island."

EUROPEAN TOUR NEWS: The Austrian Open will return to the full European Tour schedule next year after an absence of 10 years.

Fontana Golf Club on the outskirts of Vienna will host the tournament from June 8th-11th, the week before the US Open.

Seven-times European number one Colin Montgomerie has committed to next year's event.

"This is a very exciting time to have the Austrian Open back on the international schedule - I am glad to have been part of the organisation that has helped bring the tournament back to Austria and I will be the first name on the list to play here in 2006," said Montgomerie.

"I just think that the course here, the clubhouse, the facilities are all set up for a wonderful tournament and I just look forward to competing - everything is here for a great event."

Waterville's David Higgins, Belfast's Michael Hoey and David Jones from Derry will all tee off in the Challenge Tour event at Fontana today hoping to join Mongomerie in Austria next season.

Higgins and Hoey, sixth and 11th on the Challenge Tour rankings respectively, are currently in position to join Montgomerie on tour next season via the top 20 on the rankings.