Back Injury Forces Former Champion Out of The Open, Handing Struggling LIV Golfer an Unexpected Tee Time at Birkdale

Goler at teeing area and two carts. xkwx ball, beautiful, challenge, club, competition, concrete, course, day, exercise, field, five, game, golf, golfer, grass, green, hit, hole, image, individual, landscape, layout, leaf, maple, meadow, natural, nature, object, outdoor, par, plan, play, shot, sign, sport, start, stone, summer, swing, tee, teeing area, training, tree, water, woods, yardage ©IMAGO/Pond5 Images Roshni Dhawan Mon, July 13, 2026 at 10:25 PM UTC · 3 min read Louis Oosthuizen has been a regular at every Open Championship, except in 2013, when he had to withdraw. On July 13, 2026, the South African player had to withdraw, forced off the field because of a back injury . Fellow South African player Aldrich Potgieter will now take his place. Oosthuizen made the announcement himself.