RYEDALE golf ace Simon Dyson is back in the groove again after five weeks out through injury.

The Malton and Norton golfer returns to action in the British Masters at the Forest of Arden course in Warwickshire, which starts tomorrow.

After breaking a bone in his hand in a freak accident, Dyson picked up his clubs in serious action for the first time last Thursday and Friday in sessions with his coach Pete Cowen. And after coming through those workouts, the 25-year-old declared: "The hand feels fine. I'm itching to get back playing."

The 25-year-old was halted in his tracks shortly after arrving back in England after playing in the Spanish Open at the end of April. The driver's door of his Audi TT sports car was caught by the wind and crashed into his right hand, breaking the bone that connects the wrist to his little finger.

Initially, he feared he could be out for as long as six weeks, thereby missing half a dozen lucrative tournaments in which prize money totalled more than £11m.

But the former Walker Cup ace was given the go-ahead from a specialist to resume full training last week after he had spent the lay-off building up his fitness in the gym.

The injury had already ruled him out of the Italian Open, the Benson and Hedges championship, the European Open, the Volvo Masters, plus last week's Welsh Open.

A relieved Dyson said: "I just can't wait to get cracking again. I've been so bored - immensely bored."

Apart from last year when he missed two tournaments - one with a mystery bug, the other with a hand injury unconnected to his current blow - Dyson revealed how he had never before missed a European Tour event.

"I don't want to go through this again. This is by far the longest time I've been out," declared Dyson.

Updated: 13:52 Wednesday, June 04, 2003