INVERNESS, Scotland (AP) - Thomas Levet's exuberant celebration of jumping into a lake after winning his home tournament in France last weekend has cost him a place in the British Open.
Levet withdrew Wednesday from the year's third major after being ruled out for six weeks with a broken shin. He broke the bone when jumping into a lake to celebrate his victory at the French Open on Sunday.
His spot at Royal St. George's will go to Robert Garrigus of the United States.
"I am extremely disappointed to miss out on the Open Championship, but my specialist has advised me to have an operation on the fracture," said the 42-year-old Levet.
Levet's celebration at the 18th green of Le Golf National outside Paris were criticized by Colin Montgomerie, who played alongside the Frenchman in Europe's Ryder Cup-winning side in 2004.
Montgomerie has seen other players do the same thing while celebrating victories - Paul McGinley did so after holing the winning putt for Europe at the Belfry in 2002 - and doesn't see the point.
"I think it's the silliest thing that players have done over the years, I really do," Montgomerie said Wednesday. "I've always been suspect about people diving into lakes that don't know how deep it is and what's in there.
"There could be a spike in there, whatever. It's not the way to celebrate and let's hope that's the last time that ever happens. It's not the way to celebrate a golf tournament win by taking the next three months off because you've hurt yourself."
Clark withdraws from Open with elbow injury; Kim in
SANDWICH, England (AP) - Tim Clark has withdrawn from the British Open, the second straight major he is missing because of an elbow injury.
He will be replaced at Royal St. George's next week by Anthony Kim.
Clark, who captured The Players Championship last year, first noticed pain in his left elbow upon returning from a runner-up finish in Honolulu at the Sony Open. He tried to play the Masters and missed the cut, then made it through one round as the defending champion at the TPC Sawgrass before calling it quits.
Simon Dyson moves up to first alternate, followed by Thomas Bjorn, who blew the British Open in 2003 at Royal St. George's when he took three shots to get out of a bunker on the 70th hole and finished one behind.