Jose Maria Olazabal returns to competitive golf at the Andalucia Open this week but continues to struggle with the arthritis problems that have intermittently dogged his career.
The Macgregor golfer''s 2007 season was curtailed by rheumatism and he told BBC Sport that he intends to choose his events selectively this year to find out whether his body can still cope with the demands of the professional tour.
Olazabal has won the Masters twice and revealed he hopes to play at Augusta again this year, although his lack of major tournament action means he is unlikely to feature in the European Ryder Cup team in September.
The 42-year-old Spaniard said: "I''m going to take it on a weekly basis, test myself and see if I can cope with competition again.
"If my body holds up then I will reassess my situation."
Olazabal also revealed that last year his rheumatism became so severe that he experienced a "total lack of mobility" and thought he would never play golf again.
The Masters begins on April 7th, with Titleist golfer Zach Johnson looking to defend his title after last year''s dramatic victory.
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