The year is 2012, and an elite roster is struggling to stay afloat at The Open Championship. But not Ernie Els. Following his Sunday round 2-under-par 68, the South African golfer clinched his second The Open win. A happy and excited Ernie Els exclaimed, “It’s just crazy, crazy, crazy getting here.” And indeed, it was. But something even crazier is happening ahead of the 2025 edition of the event with Ernie Els and one PGA Tour pro.
As per the recent report, the two-time The Open champion (2002, 2012), Ernie Els, has decided to withdraw from the upcoming Royal Portrush event, despite being exempt to play until 60. Currently, the R&A has not given a reason for his withdrawal; however, they have already announced Els’s replacement.
PGA Tour pro Si Woo Kim will take his place in the field, having been next on the alternate list based on last week’s Official World Golf Rankings. Si Woo Kim’s appearance at the 153rd The Open Championship will mark his seventh appearance at the fourth men’s major.
Si Woo Kim replaces Ernie Els (WD) in the field for The Open.
— Underdog Golf (@UnderdogGolf) July 13, 2025
However, when it comes to the four-time major champ, Els, this is the second time this season that The Big Easy has opted out of big events, following The PLAYERS Championship. However, when it comes to The Open, this isn’t the first time Els has withdrawn from the event in recent times. Following a back injury, Els pulled out of The Open in 2024, and John Daly did so because of a knee problem.
And even though Si Woo Kim’s outings at The Open Championship haven’t as successful, the PGA Tour pro did make history in 2024.
Si Woo Kim made history at The Open Championship in 2024
In his 6 appearances, Si Woo Kim has missed the cut three times in The Open Championship. His best finish? It came in 2022 at St Andrews with a finish of T15. But in his 2024 outing, Si Woo Kim created history at Royal Troon with a remarkable hole-in-one on the par-3 17th hole, known as The Rabbit. What’s amazing is that Kim didn’t even realize he’d aced it until spectators started cheering. He hit a 238-yard ace with a 3-iron, following his caddie’s advice to hit hard.
Following the iconic shot, Kim said, “My caddie told me you’d better hit hard with a 3-iron. So I did, and as soon as I did, the contact was good. I saw the ball go over the fringe and thought that must be maybe inside 20 feet. So I took the tee out off the ground and went back to the bag and there were people yelling at me. I didn’t realise the ball was in the hole.”
Si Woo Kim’s 238-yard ace is now the longest recorded in The Open Championship history (since 1980), surpassing Frank Lickliter II’s 212-yard shot in 2001. With this feat, Kim joined an elite group of golfers who’ve achieved an ace at The Open, including Pierre Fulke, Daniel Olsson, and Dennis Edlund in 1997, Ernie Els in 2004, and Louis Oosthuizen in 2016.
Following the iconic feat, an excited Si Woo Kim confessed, “I’ve had about six holes-in-one before, but this is the most memorable.” And let’s see if he will be able to pull that off again this time around.
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