Injury is threatening Gary Marks' bid to compete with the cream of European golf at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth which starts tomorrow, writes Carl Markham.

The winner of last year's south region order of merit will be nursing an elbow injury in the European Tour's flagship event.

Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Retief Goosen and Colin Montgomerie are among the golfers lining up in the £3million event, but Marks is struggling with an injury he sustained in February.

"There were a few of us at the range and, because it was winter, we decided to have a competition to see who could throw a golf ball the furthest," said Marks, of the World of Golf centre in New Malden. "Eight or 10 balls in I felt it go. I kept hitting balls and going to the gym and I thought it was getting worse.

"I went to an expert in Harley Street and have had cortisone injections but it has gone on a lot longer than expected."

Marks tied for 69th at Wentworth in 2002, but missed the cut last year.

"If I were feeling fit and properly prepared, I would be hoping for a lot more than making the cut but, as it stands, that would be a good performance," he added.

"I have not hit a full shot for two-and-a-half months and that is coming on the back of a winter lay-off, so I have not had a scorecard in my hand since October."