Two-Time Open Champion Ernie Els Withdraws From British Open

Two-time Open champion Ernie Els has withdrawn from the British Open at Royal Portrush, marking the second major tournament he has opted out of this year. The R&A did not provide a reason for the 55-year-old South African's withdrawal. Els, who won the Open in 2002 at Muirfield and again in 2012 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, was replaced in the field by Si Woo Kim, the next eligible alternate based on last week's world ranking. Open champions are typically exempt until age 60, and Els had also chosen not to compete in this year's Players Championship, despite qualifying by winning the Kaulig Companies Championship at Firestone in 2024.