Justin Rose has withdrawn from The 150th Open ahead of his opening round at St Andrews, with Rikuya Hoshino a last-minute addition to the field.
Rose suffered discomfort during a practice round with Ryder Cup captain Henrik Stenson on the eve of the tournament, with the former US Open champion still evidently struggling when warming up on the range on Thursday morning.
The Englishman's withdrawal means Rose - who finished tied-sixth when it was last held at St Andrews in 2015 and was joint runner-up to Molinari at Carnoustie in 2018 - will not be part of the field at The Open for the first time since 2006.
- Latest leaderboard | Full coverage on Sky Sports The Open
- The 150th Open: Latest headlines, video and updates
In a statement on Twitter, Rose said: "On the fourth hole yesterday, 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."
Hoshino was the first alternate after Alex Noren, the highest-ranked player not in the field, who made the decision to stay in the USA and compete in the Barracuda Championship rather than travel to Scotland.
The Japanese player missed the cut in last year's contest, his only other appearance at The Open, with Hoshino primarily playing on the Japan Golf Tour.
England's Aaron Rai, who posted a top-20 finish at Royal St George's last year, also received a late call-up when South Africa's Erik van Rooyen withdrew due to a neck injury ahead of his 1.48pm start.
When is The Open on Sky Sports?
Sky Sports The Open is showing over 80 hours of live coverage from the iconic Old Course at St Andrews, more than ever before, with live programming on all seven days of tournament week and a host of bonus extra features available to enjoy.
Live coverage begins before the opening tee shot each day and runs through until after play is finished, with wall-to-wall coverage live from 6.30am on Friday, 9am on Saturday and 8am for Sunday's final round.
There will be lots of extra action throughout all four days via the red button on Sky Sports The Open, along with Sky Q and Sky Glass, with Featured Groups and Featured Holes available to enjoy as the world's best players tackle the Home of Golf.
Watch The 150th Open throughout the week live on Sky Sports' dedicated channel. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 6.30am live on Sky Sports The Open.