Henderson resident and 8-year PGA Tour veteran Craig Barlow hit a ball out of a divot on the 13th hole of the PODS Championship, and the injury forced him to the sidelines. He finished the first round of the event, but woke up the next morning and felt "sharp, stabbing pain" while warming up on the range. He hit six practice shots and then withdrew from the tournament. Barlow has battled shoulder and other injuries in the past, but says that those were caused by wear and tear, and this is the "first acute injury that I have had." Barlow is resting and an x-ray proved negative as did an MRI. Barlow is resting the strain and preparing to return to action the week after the Masters at the Verizon Heritage in Hilton Head, S.C.

Barlow plays out of Las Vegas golf course Reflection Bay Golf Club, and has played at many of the area's courses including Las Vegas National Golf Club, Rio Secco Golf Club, TPC Canyons, TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas Country Club, Cascata and many others.

Book your Las Vegas Golf Tee Time or Golf Package ... Now.

Barlow was surprised to wake up on Friday of the event with such pain, because it didn't seem to be that big of a deal when it happened on Thursday. But he also thinks that the timing for the unfortunate injury is good.

"I wasn't in the next two events anyway, so it happened at a good time if anything is good about this," Barlow said by cellular a little while after his MRI.

The doctor told him to take at least two weeks off initially, but he is now back chipping and putting, and will begin practive during the week of The Masters. The pain is now down to just "tender and sore."

Photo: pgatour.com