Michael Stewart kicks his heels as he is told to rest injured wrist

WALKER Cup contender Michael Stewart has targeted the Scottish Stroke Play Championship at the end of the month for his return after being told the wrist problem that has ruled him out of this week's Great Britain & Ireland squad match at Royal Aberdeen is tendinitis and the only cure is complete rest.

The 21-year-old, holder of both the Scottish and South African Amateur titles, hasn't played since pulling out of the Lytham Trophy a fortnight ago after struggling to grip the club during his warm-up for the first big event of the domestic season.

He also missed last weekend's Irish Stroke-Play Championship and has been forced to withdraw from the Ayrshire side for this weekend's Scottish Area Team Championship at Prestwick.

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"The problem first flared up when I was out in South Africa but cleared up after I iced the wrist," Stewart said. "However, it came back on the Wednesday before the Lytham Trophy when I played a practice round at Hesketh ahead of the Amateur Championship there in June.

"I went to see a hand specialist at Ross Hall last week and, to be honest, it was better news than I thought.

"It's tendinitis and, after some complete rest, I hope to be back for the Scottish Stroke-Play Championship (at Blairgowrie on 27-29 May]."

Stewart, one of four Scots in the GB&I training squad for the Walker Cup, is disappointed to be kicking his heels at home in Ayrshire while this week's three-day match is taking place at Balgownie, venue for the match against the Americans.

However, he has spoken to GB&I team captain Nigel Edwards over the past few days and the Welshman has assured him that he will have plenty of time to try and secure one of ten spots in the side for September once he is fully fit again.

"I know I am missing some tournaments at the moment, but I'll have the Scottish Stroke-Play, the St Andrews Links, the British Amateur, the Brabazon Trophy and the Scottish Amateur as well as the European Team and European Individual," added Stewart. "It would have been nice to have been up at Royal Aberdeen to look at the course and spend some time with the group of guys who are likely to be in the team.

"However, I was out at Portmarnock for a similar get-together at the start of the year and I believe there is going to be another one at Royal Aberdeen in July."

Tickets for the Walker Cup, on 10 and 11 September, have now gone on sale, costing 25 for adults and 10 for juveniles aged 16 or under.

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