Suzann Pettersen of Norway began working again with swing coach David Leadbetter last week after missing the last three LPGA Tour events because of a back injury.
Pettersen hopes to play this week in the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic at Lake Merced Golf Club in San Francisco.
“She hopes to be ready, but she’s taking it day by day,” said Dan Levy, her manager.
Pettersen, 33, is following a rehab program designed by Tom Boers, a therapist who has helped Fred Couples, Davis Love III and Ernie Els with back problems.
She was forced to withdraw from the Kia Classic and the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the first major of the season, and was unable to defend her title last week in the LPGA Lotte Championship.
“She’s feeling better,” Leadbetter told GolfChannel.com. “She’s not in pain anymore, and she may play next week, but she’s not certain. She doesn’t want to rush it.”
The biggest issue might be the five-hour flight from Orlando to San Francisco because Leadbetter said Pettersen couldn’t sit for 10 minutes without significant pain before she withdrew from the Kraft Nabisco at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
