Louis Oosthuizen returned to his native South Africa hoping for a strong week at the Joburg Open to finish 2017 in the top-20 of the world ranking. Instead, his off-season is starting a bit earlier than he would have liked thanks to a freak airport injury. Yep, you read that right.
After flying back after a T-7 at last week’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, Oosthuizen injured a couple fingers when he got them stuck between two airport trolleys. The 2010 British Open champ hoped he’d feel better by the time this week’s European Tour event started, but that hasn’t been the case.
“The body feels great but I had a different incident this week with jamming my fingers in trolleys at the airport,” Oosthuizen said at his Wednesday press conference.
“This morning is even worse than it was yesterday, so I tried to grip a golf club but there’s no way I can go to my grip position.”
The Joburg Open is co-sanctioned by the Sunshine and Asian Tours. South African Darren Fichardt is the defending champion.
The Sunshine Tour tweeted an up-close photo of the injury:
Ouch is right.
“I’m probably going to go do an X-ray today,” Oosthuizen added. “I hope I didn’t crack the middle finger there somehow, but it’s swollen quite a bit and it’s right on that pressure point where you hold your grip.
“I’ll have someone check it out back home and hopefully it’s nothing much.”
Feel better, Louis. And please, let someone else handle your bags on return home.
