Fred Couples withdrew from the U.S. Senior Open, which begins Thursday at Del Paso Country Club in Sacramento, citing a back injury.
It’s the second straight year in which the 55-year-old Couples will miss the tournament because of chronic back problems, as he also pulled out a week before the start last year at Oak Tree National Golf Club in Edmond, Okla.
Couples has played very little golf in 2015, competing in only three events on the Champions Tour and two on the PGA Tour. He has not played since shooting 74 in the second round of the Masters in April en route to missing the cut at Augusta National.
Replacing him in the field will be Paul Trittler, the first alternate from sectional qualifying in San Tan Valley. Ariz.
Couples also has withdrawn as captain of Team World for the RBC Canada Cup that will be played as part of Nova Scotia Open week festivities on July 6, the day after the RBC Canadian Open ends.
He was replaced by Tom Watson, who will have Colt Knost and Andres Gonzales on his team against Team Canada, featuring captain Mike Weir, Graham DeLaet and David Hearn for the match on the New Course at Ashburn Golf Club in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
