Bethesda - South Africa's Tim Clark withdrew from the 111th US Open golf championship on Saturday because of a right elbow injury.
Clark has been nagged by tendinitis in his elbow most of the season although he finished second in January's Sony Open in Hawaii.
Replacing Clark in the field of 156 for the year's second major championship will be American J.J. Henry, who was the first alternate from last week's US Open sectional qualifying tournament in Columbus, Ohio, with rounds of 68 and 69.
Official practice rounds start on Monday with the tournament beginning on Thursday at Congressional Country Club.
Henry will join England's Justin Rose and Australian Jason Day for the first and second rounds. The threesome will start from the first tee at 8:28 in the morning on Thursday and from the 10th tee on Friday at 2:08 in the afternoon.