Ernie Els withdraws from The Open; Si Woo Kim in

Field Level Media|published: Sun 13th July, 13:57 2025

J.J. Granata, 8 of Akron gets an autograph from Ernie Els during the Kaulig Companies Championship: Pro-Am at Firestone Country Club on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 in Akron

Ernie Elis will be marked down as a withdrawal in The Open Championship for a second straight year, the event announced Sunday. He'll be replaced by alternate Si Woo Kim.

A four-time Major winner, the South African Els had dropped out of the event the previous year after one round due to back issues. No reason was cited for this year's deferral.

The 55-year-old is a two-time winner of The Open, which makes him eligible to compete at the event until the age of 60.

Els also skipped this year's Players Championship in March, but has remained active otherwise this season. At his most recent event, the U.S. Senior Open in late June, Els tied for 13th with an even-280.

Kim, of South Korea, has four PGA wins under his belt at the age of 30.

--Field Level Media