Golf-PGA-Injured Casey withdraws from Hazeltine

* Casey loses race to prove fitness for Hazeltine

* Replaced in PGA Championship field by American Petrovic

(Adds Casey quotes, detail)

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

CHASKA, Minnesota, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Britain’s Paul Casey withdrew from the U.S. PGA Championship before the start of Thursday’s opening round after failing to recover from a lingering rib injury.

The world number three had delayed his decision on whether to play in the year’s final major to give himself more time to prove his fitness.

He has been replaced in the field at Hazeltine National by American Tim Petrovic.

“I’m very disappointed but I have to look at the bigger picture,” Casey, 32, told reporters.

“I will play a lot more majors over my career and I have to be ready for what is coming up the rest of the season with the FedExCup and the (European Tour’s) Race to Dubai.

“But it is very frustrating because standing there hitting easy golf swings it’s not that bad,” the 10-times European Tour winner added.

“It’s just starting to pull when you get to six-irons and longer. If it’s doing that on a flat lie on the range, then I can’t risk it on the golf course.

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“The advice I have been given from the experts and a lot of the players is don’t push it too quickly.”

Casey first strained his rib muscle in practice before last month’s British Open and has been receiving daily treatment since he pulled out of last week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational after six holes.

“I will fly back to Phoenix today and really get it looked at,” the Arizona-based professional said.

“We are going to go as far as getting it x-rayed and perhaps a CT scan to just make sure it is just a muscle strain and not perhaps a rib slightly out of place.

“The worst-case scenario may be that a rib might be cracked. I don’t think it is that but we have to get it checked just to make sure.”

Casey has been one of the hottest players in the game this year, winning his first PGA Tour title at the Houston Open in April along with two titles on the European Tour. (Editing by Pritha Sarkar; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)