Bubba Watson becomes LATEST player to WITHDRAW from the Open Championship!

Bubba Watson has withdrawn from the Open Championship as a result of Covid-19-related issues, on the same day that Hideki Matsuyama pulled out as well.

Watson has pulled out of the 149^th Open at Royal St George's after being identified as a close contact of an individual testing positive for Covid-19.

This will come as frustrating news to the two-time Masters champion but it is no surprise that yet another player has been forced to withdraw from the event.

Matsuyama, who secured his first major win at The Masters in April, is symptom-free of the virus but he has continued to submit positive tests.

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The Japanese star first tested positive on July 2nd during the Rocket Mortgage Classic and after isolating for a sustained period of time, he and his team have taken the decision to withdraw.

"I'm feeling fine but haven't been able to practice," said Matsuyama.

"Combining that with the difficult travel to the UK, my team and I have decided it's best to withdraw to ensure everyone's safety.

"I feel badly missing the Open and look forward to playing again at St Andrews next year. I'd like to thank the many golf fans for their continued concern and support as I strive to return to the game I love as soon as possible."

Wolff, whose withdrawal is announced along with K.H Lee and Danny Lee as well, has not given a reason for pulling out of the event as of yet.

The 22-year-old took a break from the PGA Tour between The Masters and the US Open to deal with mental health issues, but he bounced back with a tied 15th finish at Torrey Pines.

Wolff, K.H Lee and Lee will be replaced by Andy Sullivan, Antoine Rozner and Troy Merritt. Sungjae Im and Si-Woo Kim are choosing to bypass the event to focus on the Olympics, while Kevin Na isn't playing due to "travel restrictions."

NEXT PAGE: HIDEKI MATSUYAMA AND MATTHEW WOLFF WITHDRAW FROM THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP