Ballesteros out, Olazabal in British Open

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Three-time champion Severiano Ballesteros has withdrawn from next month's British Open at St Andrews and will be replaced by fellow Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal.

The 48-year-old Ballesteros won the British Open in 1979, '84 and '88.

Ballesteros wrote to tournament organizers saying he wasn't in sufficient form to play the July 14-17 tournament at the Old Course at St. Andrews.

"Unfortunately, I am still not at the competitive level I would expect, especially at a venue like St. Andrews, which hosts the best event in the world," Ballesteros said Thursday.

Ballesteros stressed that he was not retiring and would go to St Andrews to see his old friend Jack Nicklaus, who will be playing his final British Open, which he too won three times.

"I have no plans to retire," Ballesteros said. "Jack Nicklaus, of course, is the best golfer of all time and it will be a very emotional week for him as it will still be for me."

Ballesteros has not played competitively since his own event, The Seve Trophy, in late 2003, and he sustained a knee injury earlier this year when he slipped on a practice tee.

Olazabal was the highest-ranked player to miss out on an exempt place in international qualifying at Sunningdale on Monday.

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