Watson withdraws from British Open

Tom Watson will not be making a return next week to the Royal Troon course on which he won the fourth of his five Open titles.

The 54-year-old American, who has a shoulder injury, will miss the championship for only the second time since his debut – and first victory – at Carnoustie in 1975. He had a back problem in 1996.

Watson managed joint 18th place at Sandwich last year, being one of just a handful of players to break 70 on the final day.

His Troon victory came in 1982, Nick Price falling away to leave Watson a one-stroke winner over the Zimbabwean and also Britain’s Peter Oosterhuis.

It followed triumphs at Carnoustie, Turnberry and Muirfield and when he also won at Birkdale the following year he was one short of Harry Vardon’s record of six titles.

The chance to equal that came at St Andrews in 1984, but in one of the most exciting finishes ever Seve Ballesteros birdied the 18th and Watson bogeyed the 17th to lose by two.

Watson’s compatriot Fred Funk, who has openly admitted he hated the time he spent at the Open last year, has also pulled out.

The 48-year-old lies ninth in the race for places in the United States Ryder Cup sides, but he has joined two other possible teammates, Scott Hoch and Kirk Triplett, in turning down the chance to play.

At Sandwich Funk had rounds of 75 and 80 to miss the halfway cut by five shots and said later: “I went to Royal St George’s and got in some terrible habits. I shouldn’t say I hated the golf course, but I hated the golf course.”

In a professional career going back to 1981 Funk, currently ranked 49th in the world, has played just four Opens. The only time he made the cut was when he was 72nd at Muirfield in 1992.

Hoch and Triplett have also made only a few appearances. Hoch was actually eighth two years ago, but that was only his fifth Open and he did not make the trip last year, while Triplett played only in 1994 and 2000.

The vacant spots caused by the withdrawals of Watson and Funk will be added to the 12 places available at final qualifying on Saturday and Sunday.

There are now 140 exempt or qualified players with 14 to come from final qualifying and one each from the Barclays Scottish Open and the John Deere Classic in America.