Louis Oosthuizen pulls OUT of Masters

South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open winner, withdrew from the Masters on Friday with an unspecified injury.

World No 14 Oosthuizen was a playing partner of Tiger Woods, who will continue his remarkable return from severe leg injuries in a car crash 14 months ago alongside only Chile’s Joaquin Niemann at 19:41 (SA time).

Oosthuizen, 39, opened with a four-over par 76 on Thursday and was grabbing his balky back at times during the first round.

Louis Oosthuizen is a six-time Major runner-up

He joins England’s Paul Casey as having withdrawn from the event. Casey pulled out before Thursday’s start, but would have been in the group just ahead of Woods.

Oosthuizen is a six-time major runner-up, including seconds at last year’s US Open and PGA Championship, and shared third in last year’s British Open.

He was also second at the 2012 Masters.

By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse