Two-time Open king pulls out of Royal Portrush showpiece
Two-time winner Ernie Els has pulled out of The Open.
The South African star will not tee up at Royal Portrush after his withdrawal was relayed by R&A chiefs.
Els' place in the 153rd Championship will now be taken by South Korean star Si Woo Kim.
The 55-year-old grabbed his first Claret Jug in 2002 at Muirfield and followed it up a decade later with success at Royal Lytham and St Annes.
However, Els, who is currently competing in the Dick's Sporting Goods Championship on the Seniors Tour, will not be taking his spot in Northern Ireland.
Kim is the recipient of the place and now join the world's elite for the showpiece at Portrush this week.
Amongst the former Champions who will be competing is Darren Clarke, the local hero who collected the trophy the before Els at Royal St George's.
Clarke's countryman Rory McIlroy is one of the hot favourites for the crown and former Ryder Cup skipper Paul McGinley believes he's good to go on home soil.
He said: 'There's always next level for Rory. What can be more motivating than playing an Open Championship a few miles up the road from where you are brought up on a golf course you are very familiar with in front of your home crowd?
"He'll certainly be energised around that. He will have huge support behind him and it looks like there are a couple of green shoots in terms of his form.
"In my view he's a better player now than he has been at any time in his career. He has more variety of shots
'One of the things he has added to his armoury is what Tiger [Woods] called the stinger shot. He's very good at that now.
"He hits the ball 35 feet off the ground when he plays it where his normal height is about 120 feet. It gives him a safety shot that he wouldn't have had last time he played the Open at Portrush.
'He's a much better wedge player now as well and there's going to be a lot of holes for him at Portrush where he will have a wedge in his hands.
'The third part of it is his putting. He is putting more consistently now than I've ever seen him in his career. Brad Foxon (putting coach) has been a hugely important addition to his team. He looks like he is going to hole the putt now.
"It's not wishy-washy. When the ball leaves the putter head it looks like it has got a place to go. All in all I think he's in a better place to put up a really good show.'
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