PALM BEACH GARDENS, United States (AFP) - World number six Justin Rose of Britain has withdrawn from this week's US$6 million (S$7.6 million) United States (US) PGA Tour Honda Classic to rest a nagging right shoulder injury, the tour announced on Tuesday.

The 33-year-old reigning US Open champion has tendinitis in his right shoulder and does not want to risk a setback in rehabilitation by playing four weeks in a row.

The Englishman has played the past two weeks and will compete in next week's US$9 million World Golf Championships (WGC) event at Doral.

The only higher-ranked player taking the week off will be Australian Jason Day, who jumped to fourth in the world after winning the WGC Match Play Championship title last Sunday, defeating Frenchman Victor Dubuisson in 23 holes in the final to conclude a gruelling week in the Arizona desert.

Rose will defend the US Open crown he won last year at Merion in June at Pinehurst with the year's first major championship, the Masters, looming before that in April at Augusta National.