EDISON, August 22, 2011 (AFP) - American golfing star JB Holmes, who has been dealing with vertigo-like symptoms this season, has pulled out of this week's PGA Tour event as he braces to undergo brain surgery.
The 29-year-old Holmes is scheduled to have the surgery September 1 but it is not expected to be career threatening. Holmes said he probably will miss about three months of the golf season.
Holmes, of Kentucky, has been diagnosed with structural defects in the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance.
He has been dealing with vertigo-like symptoms for the past three months and has gone to several doctors before being diagnosed with Chiari malformations last week.
The operation on the two-time PGA Tour winner will be performed at the Johns Hopkins University Hospital.
Doctors have told Holmes that it's a low-risk procedure and he should be able to return to competition about three months after the surgery.
Holmes played in the US Ryder Cup team three years ago.