The Open Championship field is bigger than ever, literally.
Ross Parker/R&A/R&A via Getty Images
The 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon has arrived, brining with it the final major championship of the 2024 season.
Like its preceding major, the U.S. Open, the UK’s national championship also has open qualifying, although not to the same scale as the U.S.’s national championship.
To supplement the rest of the field, the R&A designates several tournaments on the PGA, DP World and Asian Tours as “Open Qualifying Series” events and awards one to three spots in the Open Championship field to the best finishers not already qualified.
These Open Qualifying Series events started way back in November and December with events in South Africa and Australia, but the final one was just this past week at the Genesis Scottish Open. Interestingly, that has caused a slight wrinkle in this year’s field.
As of the start of the Scottish Open last week, there were already 155 players who were exempt or qualified for the Open, a traditional full field. When the last three spots were given to the top three not-otherwise qualified from Renaissance Club (Aaron Rai, Alex Noren and Richard Mansell), that pushed the field to 158 players. The R&A has accommodated this and will simply add an additional twosome to the tee sheet for the first and second rounds.
The last time more than 158 players teed off at the Open was 1995 when John Daly won at St. Andrews.
Keep reading below for the entire 158-man field at Royal Troon.
Jack Hirsh is the Associate Equipment Editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.
