Thomas Björn has been given a place in this week’s Open Championship at Royal St George’s following the withdrawal of Vijay Singh through injury.
Björn replaces the Fijian in Thursday’s starting line-up for a 7.25am tee time match with Simon Dyson and Gary Woodland.
It was over the links of Royal St George’s in 2003 that the Dane held a two-stroke advantage over clubhouse leader Ben Curtis as he stood on the tee of the short 16th. His tee shot toppled into a bunker at the back right of the green, with the hole cut close to that edge. His first recovery shot spun back off the green to his feet. So did the second. The double-bogey wiped out his lead and when he dropped another shot at the 17th his chance of Open glory was gone.
He said: "I'm just delighted. You don't want to see players pull out, but since Sandwich I have missed some Opens and it makes you realise how much you want to play in them.
"The year after what happened here was difficult, but these are the events you want to be playing in. When I think back I just count myself lucky that I got myself in a position where I had a chance to win. Loads of people don't get that chance."
He also tied in a distant second place behind Tiger Woods at St Andrews in 2000, the same year he finished third in the US PGA. In 2005 he was tied for the lead in the US PGA as the championship entered the final few holes, but was beaten to the title by Phil Mickelson. Björn was a member of the victorious European Ryder Cup team in 1997 and 2002.
