A snowboarding accident will unfortunately see Paul Casey sidelined from competition for a couple of months.

Casey will miss the defence of his Volvo Champions title in South Africa and the following week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship after dislocating his right shoulder while snowboarding during the winter break.

A shoulder injury will see Paul Casey sidelined for a few months. (Photo - www.golfbytourmiss.com)

The English golfer is undergoing treatment which is going well but he expects to miss the first couple of months of the 2012 season.

“I am very frustrated as I was really looking forward to getting off to a fast start in 2012,” he said. 

“I’m disappointed to miss one out on defending my title at the Volvo Golf Champions in South Africa in January and also the entire ‘Middle East Swing’.

“I’ve always played  well in the desert and the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship is one of my favourite events of the year so I will particularly hate sitting out that one. 

“The good news is that the experts I’ve seen say I don’t need surgery and, having already started my rehabilitation exercises,  I should be back hitting balls in a few weeks.”

Casey continues a long line of golfers to sustain injuries during time away from the golf course.

Double U.S. Open champion, Retief Goosen in 2004 injured his hip in a jet-ski accident.

And fellow South African Ernie Els damaged ligaments in his left knee during a Mediterranean holiday in 2006 in falling off a banana boat being towed by a speed boat.