Adam Scott pulls out of Australian Open

Home favourite Adam Scott has been forced to pull out of this week’s Australian Open after failing to recover from a dislocated knee.

The world number 16 had to miss last week’s PGA Championship after hurting his knee in a strange surfing accident, but was hoping to play his national tournament.

Scott’s withdrawal will be a huge blow to the organizers who had hoped the big name would pull in the crowd. He was grouped in an all-Australian trio including Stuart Appleby and Craig Parry, but will now have to pull out from the $1.5million event.

"I have a tear in the ligament in my knee and that's flared up a fair bit," said Scott. "There's still some swelling and I can't walk properly at the moment or extend my leg fully. It's not really the hitting that's the problem, it's the walking."

Scott had been in good form earlier in the year, winning two tournaments, but he’s been plagued by injuries recently including breaking a bone in his hand when he closed the car door on it.

“Leading up to Coolum I worked quite hard on my game, and for the first time in a while I'd seen some big improvement and good feeling in my golf game and I didn't even get to take that out on the golf course in the end."

The tournament begins on Thursday at the Royal Sydney Golf Club in Rose Bay. It includes home favourites such as last week’s winner Geoff Ogilvy and 2006 winner John Senden. The overseas contingent will be led by Darren Clarke, South Africa’s Tim Clark and big hitting American Jon Daly.

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