GOLF: Colin Montgomerie will consult a specialist about his ongoing back problem before deciding his schedule in the lead-up to next month's Ryder Cup.

But the 39-year-old Scot is highly unlikely to play in next week's BMW International Open in Munich, less than seven days after quitting the NEC world championship after nine holes of his second round in Seattle.

The seven-times European number one has now returned home and will see a specialist as soon as possible after the latest recurrence of the painful back injury which has plagued him for most of the season.

"Colin is having short-term treatment before seeing his specialist," said Montgomerie's manager Guy Kinnings. "He will then decide his schedule leading up the Ryder Cup. He saw doctors in America the week before the USPGA and they confirmed he does not require surgery and it is not a serious injury, although it does cause him pain."

Montgomerie had always planned to miss the European Masters in Switzerland the week after the BMW International Open, and then play in the German Masters and American Express Championships at Mount Juliet in the weeks immediately preceding the Ryder Cup at the Belfry.

European captain Sam Torrance admitted he had already taken into consideration Montgomerie's injury due to the gruelling schedule of matches against the Americans.

Without the injury, Montgomerie, a player Torrance has described as his "rock", would have been certain to play in all five series of matches, a potential total of 90 holes in three days.

But Torrance acknowledged: "It might be a bit much for him to play in every series but I had already taken that into consideration. I might not push him.

"I've not had a chance to speak to him yet but hopefully he is fine. "It's been troubling him most of the year but he has some time now that the majors are finished. I think he will have a couple of weeks off."

Montgomerie has been told to lose weight and exercise to try and improve the situation and spoke earlier this month of hopefully avoiding an operation at the end of the year.

"I'm not that healthy right now, every week is a bonus if I do play.

"It's a day-by-day thing and I have to see about it at the end of the year," he said, before failing to defend his last remaining title in the Scandinavian Masters.

"Hopefully it won't be an operation because that takes too much time. I'm just playing as well as I can, it's just very painful.

"I can't play too many holes of golf, I have to be careful. I don't play or practice as much, I just have to build up and peak for a tournament.

"I haven't lost half of what I was told to. I was told to lose 35lbs and I've only lost 15lbs. Losing that 20lb is possibly the difference between having an operation or not. It can only help and I'm giving myself every chance not to.

"They're not saying I can't continue to play, I am. I just can't play.

"Unless they find something else that I can work towards, and I'd go for that option number one please, I may need an operation to keep playing. I have to work out and change my lifestyle, take it as a job.

"Unfortunately it's very difficult on tour. We eat at different times so it's very difficult to have a routine which you need to keep to. And boredom sets in, if I'm bored I tend to eat."

Montgomerie scratched from the English Open at the Forest of Arden in June last year when the trouble first flared and then quit the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth at the start of this season.