Tour winner issues statement after withdrawing from The Open

James Nicholas has laid bare his devastation after being forced to withdraw from The Open through injury.

Tournament officials confirmed at 11:23am BST that the American pulled out of the final men's major of the year.

The 29-year-old was making his Open debut at Royal Birkdale.

He booked his spot in the 156-man field by surviving a brutal 36-hole qualifier last month. 

Nicholas, who played alongside England's Matthew Baldwin and Belgium's Thomas Detry in round one, looked in visible discomfort on Thursday.

He mixed five bogeys and 13 pars for a five-over 75 and was likely heading for the exit door anyway along with several big names. 

"Not the update I was hoping to share," wrote Nicholas on his Instagram page.

"Unfortunately, I've withdrawn from the second round of The Open Championship.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."

He added: "Competing in an Open Championship has always been a dream of mine, which makes this 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."

The withdrawal will come as a massive blow for Nicholas as he is currently in the middle of a very good season.

In February, he claimed his maiden win at the Astara Golf Championship presented by Masterscard in Colombia. 

He is on track to secure his full PGA Tour card via the developmental Korn Ferry Tour. 

Last month, Nicholas also earned his place at the 2026 U.S. Open field at Shinnecock Hills by advancing through what is known as "golf's longest day". 

The qualification was particularly notable given he had achieved the feat in 2025. 

Nicholas made the cut at Shinnecock Hills and ended the week in a tie for 65th. 

He is not the only player to withdraw from this year's Open. 

Before a ball was struck, former champion Louis Oosthuizen revealed a back injury was going to prevent him from playing. 

His withdrawal meant his compatriot, Aldrich Potgieter, snuck into the field at the last minute.

America's Jackson Suber led the 2026 Open by one shot after 18 holes. 

Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau were among the notables in hot pursuit of the unheralded American.

Big names in danger of missing the cut

You can follow all the action from The Open on our live blog. 

Several big names are out on the course now attempting to make some birdies to avoid missing the 36-hole cut. 

Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Patrick Reed, Matt Fitzpatrick, Rory McIlroy, Wyndham Clark, Jordan Spieth, Cameron Smith, Jason Day and Brian Harman all have work to do. 

Here's how the bottom half of the leaderboard looked after 18 holes: