Levet drops out with broken rib

Thomas Levet, the Ryder Cup player who broke a leg jumping in a lake to celebrate his French Open victory last July, is out of golf again with a broken rib.

Levet slipped on steps on the final day of the Volvo Golf Champions in South Africa on Sunday and expects to be out for three to six weeks, he confirmed on Twitter.

His place in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship goes to England’s Sam Little. He began the week as fourth reserve, but the field was then extended and Jose Maria Olazabal, Alex Cejka and Niclas Fasth offered places.