Lee Westwood may be stymied in his attempt to play on the European Tour next week, even though that is where he wants to complete his build-up to the Ryder Cup.

Another bout of tonsilitis - he suffered the same thing before the 2006 match - forced him to withdraw from the Omega European Masters, which began today in Switzerland.

Westwood had not entered next week's German Masters in Cologne, but in view of his unexpected week off he has now asked for an invitation.

However, with the tournament having a restricted field of 78, there are only six invite places available and they have already been allocated to Americans Fred Couples and John Daly, German trio Bernhard Langer, Alex Cejka and Marcel Siem and Daniel Chopra, of Sweden.

Chris Wood, the 20-year-old from Bristol who turned professional after finishing fifth in The Open, was struggling to make headway in the Swiss Alps today.

Now in his fourth European Tour start - he is allowed seven invites to earn around £150,000 and avoid having to attend the qualifying school this winter - was two over par after 15 holes at Crans-sur-Sierre.

Meanwhile, England's most capped amateur, Gary Wolstenholme, is turning professional at the age of 48.

The twice British champion, who represented his country 218 times over 21 years and famously beat Tiger Woods in the 1995 Walker Cup, is entering the first stage of the European Tour qualifying school in Scotland next week.

He has already received an invitation to the following week's Kazakhstan Open on the Challenge Tour and hopes to make his debut on the main circuit at the Portugal Masters next month.

He is at present out of work, trying to sell his house in Market Harborough and back living with his mother in Lancashire.