Woods misses first major in 12 years

SOUTHPORT, England, July 16 (UPI) -- For the first time in a dozen years, a major golf championship will begin Thursday without Tiger Woods in the field.

The British Open, first played in the year prior to the start of the American Civil War, will be played at the Royal Birkdale course.

Woods, who is recuperating from knee surgery, has played in every major since the 1996 PGA Championship. He was not eligible for that tournament because he had yet to turn professional.

Also absent this week will be the hottest player in the game -- Kenny Perry. He has won three of the last five tournaments in which he has played and chose to compete this week in the Milwaukee Open.

Defending British Open champion Padraig Harrington is also questionable with an injured wrist.

There will be 23 major champions in the field, but only nine of them have won multiple major titles. And of those nine, four (Tom Watson, Greg Norman, Sandy Lyle and Mark O'Meara) are eligible for the Champions Tour.

Among those entered this week, the only under-50 players with more than one major crown to their credit are Phil Mickelson, Retief Goosen, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh and John Daly.