Nick O&aposHern has been forced to withdraw from all three of Australia&aposs biggest summer golf tournaments due to a thumb injury. O&aposHern will be out of action for 12 weeks, ruling him out of next week&aposs Masters, the Australian PGA Championship and the Australian Open. The left hander first suffered the injury in July, but was able to play on with his hand being taped, however after further tests upon earlier this week, he was advised of the need for surgery or the risk of further damage. “I slammed my left hand in a locker door and immediately went to the doctor who said I had a chronic partial tear of the ligament in my left thumb,” he said. She made me a splint to wear off the course and I taped my hand while I was playing and it didn t appear to affect my golf. At the time the only other option was surgery which would have put me out of the game for up to three months so I kept playing hoping it would improve. A shattered O Hern said the risk of worsening the injury was too big and he will have surgery early next week in Perth. “It&aposs such a shame, I&aposm obviously really disappointed, I love coming back to play the Aussie events, I just love the courses and playing at home,” he said. “I have had really good results, especially with winning the PGA and coming close to getting the Australian Open last year. I have been runner up there three times now and I was really hoping I could get out there and go one better this time.”