Former Claret Jug winner Louis Oosthuizen withdrew from The Open Championship on Monday due to a back injury.
The 43-year-old South African, who currently competes in LIV Golf, won The Open at St Andrews, Scotland, in 2010.
Oosthuizen also said he will miss the LIV Golf United Kingdom event in Rocester, England, which begins on July 23.
“It’s incredibly disappointing to miss two events I always look forward to, but my priority now is to focus on my recovery and make sure I’m fully fit before returning to competition,” he posted on social media.
“Thank you to everyone for the support and kind messages. I’ll be backing (LIV Golf team) the Southern Guards from afar and look forward to being back out there as soon as I can.”
Aldrich Potgieter, also from South Africa, will replace Oosthuizen as the first alternate for the 154th Open starting Thursday at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England.
Oosthuizen’s Open win is his only Grand Slam title. He also has six runner-up finishes in majors: Masters (2012), PGA Championship (2017, 2021), U.S. Open (2015, 2021) and The Open (2015).
