South African Trevor Immelman has pulled out of the Open to be with his wife who has given birth to their first child.

Immelman had not been expecting to miss the Open but received a call telling him his wife Carminita had given birth to a boy by Caesarean section back home in America.

As Immelman caught a plane back to Orlando in Florida his replacement, Australian Andrew Buckle, was catching a flight in the opposite direction on his way to Hoylake.

Immelman said yesterday: "We went to the doctor right before I came over here and he didn't see any chance that she was going to have the kid this week."

The 26-year-old, who held off Tiger Woods to capture his first US Tour title two weeks ago at the Western Open in Illinois, added: "My wife really wanted me to come over to this tournament. She knows it's my favourite."