Louis Oosthuizen
British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen has pulled out of this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship after suffering an ankle injury on a hunting trip in his native South Africa.
Oosthuizen said on his website today that he had stepped in a pothole and damaged ankle ligaments, ending his hopes of returning to St Andrews where he won his first major title this year. The South African had been due to play in the pro-am tournament along with US Open champion Graeme McDowell and US PGA winner Martin Kaymer. It would have been the first time in the 10-year history of the event that three of the four current major champions had taken part.
Oosthuizen had returned home to attend the wedding of compatriot Charl Schwartzel and will remain in South Africa resting his leg before his next event, the Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda. Nine members of the victorious European Ryder Cup team are playing at St Andrews, as well as captain Colin Montgomerie and vice-captains Paul McGinley, Darren Clarke and Thomas Bjorn.
Triple major winner Ernie Els and former US Open champions Retief Goosen and Michael Campbell are also in the field along with former British Open winners Paul Lawrie and John Daly. The event will be again be played at three venues, St Andrews, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie with the leading 65 professionals to play the Old Course at St Andrews on Sunday’s final day. – Reuters
