Karlsson causes Major reshuffle
SWEDEN’S Robert Karlsson yesterday withdrew from The Open with less than 24 hours remaining before the tournament’s start.
“Have got into some bad habits in my game and routine that I need to address. Taking a few weeks off,” the world number 54 said via Twitter.
Play at Royal Lytham and St Anne’s will consequently now commence from 6.30am, as opposed to the 6.19am previously scheduled, with the field reducing to 156 from the original 157.
Karlsson will hope his withdrawal concludes a run of underwhelming form. Excluding the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain – where even then he failed to reach the quarter-finals – the Swede has yet to secure a top 10 finish in 2012. His last two events produced 29th-placed finishes that were preceded by six starts in which he four times missed the cut.