James Nicholas forced to pull out The Open as statement released | Golf | Sport

James Nicholas has been forced to withdraw from The 154th Open Championship due to a foot injury. Nicholas, 29, was making his Open debut at Royal Birkdale after earning his place in the 156‑man field by battling through a gruelling 36‑hole qualifier last month.

Playing alongside England’s Matthew Baldwin and Belgium’s Thomas Detry in Thursday’s opening round, Nicholas appeared to be in clear discomfort throughout his day on the course. It later emerged that he had suffered a foot injury, with organisers R&A confirming in a statement: “James Nicholas, who was part of the first group on Thursday and carded a five-over-par 75, has withdrawn from The 154th Open due to a foot injury. Matthew Baldwin and Thomas Detry will begin as a pairing at 11.41am.”

He had carded a five‑over 75, mixing five bogeys with 13 pars, and was likely heading for the exit regardless – along with several other big names. Taking to Instagram, Nicholas expressed his disappointment in a statement.

It read: “Not the update I was hoping to share… unfortunately, I’ve withdrawn from the second round of The Open Championship. I’ve been battling through an injury all week and pushed through it yesterday, but unfortunately that only made things worse and I’m unable to tee it up today.

“Competing in an Open Championship has always been a dream of mine, which makes this one especially difficult to accept. I want to thank all of the doctors and medical staff who worked hard to get me in the best shape possible to play this week.

“This isn’t how I wanted the week to go, but I know I’ll be back. For now, it’s back to the States to focus on recovery and figure out the best path forward. Appreciate all the fans who came out to support this week. I wish I could’ve given you more.”

Nicholas’ withdrawal is a major blow, coming just as he looked to build on the outstanding form that earned him his maiden victory at the Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard in Colombia back in February.

However, he isn’t the only player to withdraw from this year’s Open. Before a ball was struck, former champion Louis Oosthuizen confirmed a back injury would rule him out of the tournament.

His withdrawal opened the door for compatriot Aldrich Potgieter, who slipped into the field at the last minute.