SUNNINGDALE, England (PA) -- Jose Maria Olazabal tried to qualify for the British Open on Monday and failed, and then talked about the possibility of taking another lengthy break from golf.

The two-time Masters champion has been struggling badly from fatigue since returning from seven months out battling rheumatism. His most recent European Tour appearance was his missed cut in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth just over a month ago.

"I haven't played at all and can't practice much, so I'm not really expecting great things," he said. "Because it's the Open, it was a good reason to come, but it's basically a test for me and ... I don't think I will be playing for four or five weeks at least."

The Spanish star is entered into next week's Scottish Open and is in the field for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio in a few more weeks. But it now remains to be seen when he next plays.

"The doctors have taken one of my medicines away, but we have to do this gradually to see if I improve," he explained. "It's going to take two months at least to see if my body is cured.

"I feel like practicing, but I just get tired and can't hit balls and play 18 holes in the same day," he added. "But at least my lower back is not getting as tight as it did before and that's positive. I have to really look for those signs."

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