Open agony for Howell
David Howell today withdrew from the Open championship after failing to recover from an abdominal injury.
Howell, 11th on his US Masters debut in April, suffered the injury while hitting balls on the driving range ahead of his second round at the US Open last month.
The Swindon golfer had to be helped into a car on leaving Pinehurst but had hoped to be fit to play at St Andrews.
His place will now be taken by Londoner Brian Davis, the next player in the world rankings not already exempt.
It is a massive blow to Howell who has been in the form of his life this season.
The 30-year-old Ryder Cup star had a lengthy spell on top of the leaderboard at Augusta and partnered eventual winner Tiger Woods when the world number one went on a spectacular charge in the third round.
He then fought his way into play-offs for the British Masters and Irish Open in consecutive weeks, and finished fourth in the BMW Championship at Wentworth.
An opening round of 74 at Pinehurst gave him every chance of making the halfway cut, until he sustained the injury which has kept him out of the game ever since.
“I can’t tell you how much it hurt when it happened. It took three people to get me off the physio’s couch and put me in a car,” he said a fortnight ago.
“I feared it was really bad.
“My first 50 shots were fine but on the 51st I got what just felt like a rip.
“I was told it wasn’t a normal golfing injury and I’ve certainly never had anything like it.”
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