To be fair to the 10-time DP World Tour winner, the choice wasn’t that quite that easy, with Noren being the first alternate for the final major of the year. That being said, it was an interesting decision to fly to California for a few reasons. A decision the 40-year-old Swede is undoubtedly kicking himself over now.

On Thursday morning, Justin Rose withdrew from the Open, leaving the door open for someone else. With Noren not there, the coveted spot in the field went to Rikuya Hoshino. Ouch. Later, Erik van Rooyen became a second WD and he was replaced by Aaron Rai. Again, ouch.

Look, being an alternate at a golf tournament is like flying on standby. It’s a bit of a risk because you can go through a lot of effort and get nothing out of it. But, again, Noren, one of the highest-ranked players in the world (No. 66) not in the field at St Andrews, was the first alternate. And this is the Open Championship. At St. Andrews! And he was already in Scotland after finishing T-30 at last week’s Scottish Open! Instead he flew halfway around the world! To play in the Barracuda Championship!

Making the decision even more questionable is the fact that Noren is currently No. 75 on the FedEx Cup points list and in no danger of losing his PGA Tour card for next season. And yet he passed up a possible opportunity to play in an Open Championship at the Home of Golf. Pretty wild.

At least he wouldn’t have gotten a fun pairing. Wait, never mind! Noren would have played with Ryder Cup teammates Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood. It doesn’t get much more fun than teeing it up with Moliwood!

Of course, if Noren winds up winning the Barracuda Championship, he’ll have made the right decision. Maybe.

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The post Open Championship 2022: Alex Noren has to be kicking himself for questionable decision that cost him his tee time appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Rose alerted tournament officials to his problems shortly before his Thursday morning pairing with his Ryder Cup teammates that he would be unable to play due to a back injury.

The 2013 US Open champion said: “On the fourth hole yesterday during my practice round, I made a swing with my driver and started to feel pain in my lower back. I’ve been getting around the clock treatment but it just doesn’t feel ready to compete in this prestigious championship.”

Rose, the world No. 50 famously finished T4 as an amateur at the 1998 Open an was runner up at the 2018 Open Championship.

Alex Noren was initially listed as the first alternate and was at the Old Course earlier this week. However, he decided to play in the PGA Tour’s Barracuda Championship and flew to California instead.

Taking Rose’s place is Hoshino, the 26-year-old from Japan who is making his second Open appearance.

After being alerted by officials he had to grab his clubs and caddie and sprint to the first tee to begin play with seconds to spare.

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The post Open Championship 2022: Justin Rose withdraws moments before tee off at St Andrews — alternate has to sprint to make tee time appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.