June Golf Injury Report: Back and Wrist Issues Sideline Key Players Across Global Tours

The mid-season grind is taking its toll across both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, with back and wrist injuries sidelining several marquee players as the summer major season approaches. The physical demands of the modern game, combined with a condensed global schedule, have resulted in a wave of high-profile withdrawals in early June.

On the PGA Tour, the most prominent ongoing saga is Jake Knapp's left thumb and wrist issue. Knapp, who enjoyed a blistering start to the 2026 season and established himself as one of the tour's breakout stars, was forced to withdraw from the Jack Nicklaus-hosted Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village.[1]

This marks Knapp's fourth consecutive withdrawal from a major tournament. The persistent thumb sprain previously forced him out of the Cadillac Championship, the Truist Championship, and the PGA Championship in May, halting his momentum just as he was playing the best golf of his career.[2]

The financial and competitive impact on Knapp has been severe. Missing these $20 million Signature Events and a major championship means a significant loss of FedExCup points and potential earnings. He was replaced in the Memorial field by Canadian Sudarshan Yellamaraju, who gained entry into his fourth $20 million event of the season as an alternate.[1][2]

Meanwhile, on the LIV Golf circuit, former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen suffered a frustrating withdrawal just before the final round of LIV Golf Andalucia on June 7. The sudden exit removed him from contention in the $30 million event.

Oosthuizen was sitting at 6-over-par through 54 holes at Real Club Valderrama when his chronic lower back flared up. Unable to physically swing a club or walk the course comfortably, he announced his withdrawal on social media and was replaced by Australian veteran Wade Ormsby for the final round.

The South African's back issues are well-documented, stemming from L5 and S1 disc problems diagnosed over a decade ago. The chronic spinal condition previously forced him out of LIV Golf Houston in 2024 and famously caused him to withdraw during the opening round of the 2022 Masters.

Oosthuizen isn't the only LIV player battling the injury bug this month. Paul Casey was forced to miss the Andalucia event entirely due to a lingering wrist injury that also kept him out of LIV Golf Korea earlier in the season, further depleting the field's star power.

Wrist injuries have been a recurring theme across the global tours this year. Earlier this season, Bryson DeChambeau was forced to withdraw from LIV Golf Mexico City due to wrist discomfort, a highly sensitive issue given his past surgery to repair a fractured hamate bone.[3]

Back on the PGA Tour, Collin Morikawa skipped the Memorial Tournament as he continues to manage his own back injury. Morikawa famously withdrew after just one hole at The Players Championship in March, and while he has expressed optimism about his long-term recovery, he opted for rest ahead of the U.S. Open.[1]

Stephan Jaeger also recently withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge during the second round due to back spasms, highlighting the pervasive nature of spinal stress among players grinding through the weekly cut lines.

Biomechanics experts note that the pursuit of extreme clubhead speed in the modern era places unprecedented torque on the lumbar spine and lead wrist. As players train to generate maximum rotational force, these specific joint complexes become the most common occupational hazards for elite golfers.[3]

The condensed nature of the 2026 global schedule—featuring clustered Signature Events on the PGA Tour and extensive international travel for LIV Golf—leaves players with minimal recovery windows to manage acute flare-ups between tournament days.

For players like Knapp and Oosthuizen, the immediate focus shifts entirely to rehabilitation and physical therapy. With the U.S. Open and the Open Championship looming on the horizon, the race against the clock to regain full fitness will define the remainder of their summer campaigns.[2]