Paul McGinley is looking forward to his return to action in the Trophee Hassan II in Morocco, after undergoing an incredible sixth knee operation.
"I've been doing my utmost to get my game and fitness back, but I'm not going with any great expectations this first week," the 43-year-old said.
"There was a lot more damage than I thought and the knee's still not great - that's the bottom line.
"But I'm so keen to get back playing and with really good physio and gym work the prognosis is quite good.
"My left kneecap has disintegrated quite a bit over the years and the cartilage is just about gone. There was a lot of debris they had to clear out."
A broken kneecap sustained playing Gaelic football at the age of 19 prompted McGinley to concentrate on golf in the first place.
However, his 104th place on last year's Race to Dubai was the lowest of his career, a statistic he blames squarely on his dodgy knee.
"In hindsight I do feel that carrying the injury through the second half of the season was a mistake and a contributing factor to me having such a poor season," he added.
"I put off the surgery, but I knew I would have to have it done at some stage. "And I've certainly got good value out of my West Ham season ticket while I've been unable to play."