Turnberry (Scotland), July 14 - A nagging muscle injury forced Jeev Milkha Singh to take the painful decision of pulling out of the British Open at Turnberry Golf Course here Tuesday.

The 38-year-old Indian, who has played 10 Majors in his career and made the cut in six of them including a top-10 at PGA Championships last year, came to Turnberry hoping he had recovered from the inter-costal muscle injury which has dogged him since the European Open almost two months ago.

But after hitting balls Monday and Tuesday, Jeev found that he was still way off full fitness.

And Tuesday he decided that he was not 'upto the desired fitness levels' and therefore took the 'agonising decision' to pull out of the year's third Major.

'It is always a tough call, but one that had to be taken.