Watson Withdraws From British Open

Tom Watson, the American golfer who is an adopted son of the old sod, will not be competing in the 125th British Open when it begins at Royal Lytham and St. Annes Golf Club on Thursday.

Breaking his string of 21 consecutive British Open appearances, Watson, a five-time Open champion, withdrew Monday with an injured shoulder. He hurt the shoulder while playing golf on his annual trek around the British Isles.

He telephoned his regrets to Michael Bonallack, the secretary of the Royal and Ancient, and was scheduled to fly back home to Kansas City on Monday to undergo tests on his rotator cuff. He had played golf six times in Scotland and Ireland in the past week, and began having pain in the shoulder Saturday.

A total of 480 players battled for the remaining 40 spots in the Open, and four of the 15 American players who attempted to qualify made it.

Justin Leonard (70-64 at Fairhaven), Sean Murphy (70-73 at Formby), Jay Townsend (70-70 at Fairhaven) and Tim Herron (71-69 at Formby) made the final field of 156.

Davis Love III and Fred Couples will pass up their chance to win a fifth consecutive World Cup of Golf, out of concerns for Couples’ back.

The duo announced they will skip the event this November in South Africa.

The World Cup of Golf is a 72-hole medal-play tournament involving teams from 32 countries. The 42nd World Cup of Golf will be Nov. 21-24.