Tom Lehman has withdrawn from this week's Nissan Open in Los Angeles, but his brother says there's no reason for Greg Turner to get his hopes up to make the Match Play Championship field as first alternate.

"He's definitely playing next week," Jim Lehman, head of Signature Sports Group, said Tuesday. "If things don't go the way he wants, he plays one round or two rounds and is probably done."

Lehman, who hasn't won since the Loch Lomond Invitational in Scotland two years ago, had surgery on his left shoulder after the Skins Game and hasn't played since Thanksgiving weekend.

His withdrawal in Los Angeles raised questions whether Lehman, ranked No. 20 in the world, would be fit for the $5 million Match Play Championship next week. If he can't play, Turner would get in at No. 66 and play Tiger Woods, moving Nick Faldo up one seed and forcing him to play David Duval.

Lehman had wanted to have at least a couple of competitive rounds under his belt before the Match Play, and his brother said he probably could have played Los Angeles.

"He was right on the fence," Lehman said. "But he needed one more week to strengthen his shoulder."

What to expect from Lehman at La Costa Resort is anyone's guess. He is scheduled to play Scott Verplank in the first round, with the winner meeting Steve Elkington or Steve Jones.