US golfer withdraws from Canadian Open after wife goes into labour

American golfer Hunter Mahan has reportedly withdrawn from the RBC Canadian Open on Saturday after his wife went into labour.

According to the Huffington Post, tournament leader Mahan was at 13 under after 36 holes and had yet to tee off in the third round when he received the news, following which he left the tournament to be at the side of his wife Kandi.

According to Mahan, he and his wife are thrilled to welcome their first child to their family, adding that he looked forward to returning to the RBC Canadian Open in the coming years.

The report further said that the sudden departure of Mahan, who led on Friday with an 8-under 64 to improve on his 67 from the first round, has put the spotlight on fellow American John Merrick, who finished the second round two strokes back of Mahan at the Glen Abbey Golf Club.

Mahan had been rescheduled to tee off at 2:50 p.m. but never made it to the course and instead rushed to the airport after which Merrick played his round Saturday without a partner, the report added.