The qualifiers from Burnham and Berrow (including Justin Rose and Abe Ancer).
Luke Walker/R&A/R&A via Getty Images
The U.S. Open isn’t the only major that features the emotion of a one-day 36-hole final qualifier.
As the name implies, the Open Championship conducts open qualifying, albeit on a much smaller scale than its American counterpart. Four 36-hole final qualifiers were held across Scotland and England Tuesday as some of the game’s biggest names (including several LIV golfers) and those lesser-known tried to earn their way into the 152nd Open later this month at Royal Troon.
Just four spots were available at each qualifier making for 16 spots in all.
Keep reading below for a rundown of each site including qualifying players, notables who failed to qualify and more.
Qualifiers: Matthew Dodd-Berry (a), -6 Sam Horsfield Daniel Brown, -5 Masahiro Kawamura
Notables who failed to qualify: Sergio Garcia Carlos Ortiz Richard Mansell
Things to know:
– Sergio Garcia was attempting to qualify for his 100th major but had a testy exchange with officials on the 8th hole of his first round after his group was put on the clock. He missed the cut by two shots after rounds of 71-70.
– Ortiz, a LIV Golf winner earlier this year, did not play in a major this season and has only played in one since joining LIV Golf in 2022.
Qualifiers: Matthew Southgate, -6 Elvis Smylie, -3 Jamie Montojo Fernandez Luis Masaveu* (a), -2
*Advanced via a 3-for-1 playoff
Notables who failed to qualify: Branden Grace Eugenio Lopez-Chaccara Thomas Detry
Things to know:
– Southgate, who finished T6 at Royal Birkdale in 2017, will play his second-straight Open after not playing between 2018 and 2023.
– Both Luis Masaveu and Jaime Montojo Fernandez play out of the same club in Madrid, Royal Club La Moraleja
– On the second playoff hole, Masaveu won the final spot by making about a 25-foot birdie putt from outside his competitors, which included Grace.
– Grace has not played any majors this year and has played in two since joining LIV Golf in 2022. He was the first golfer ever to shoot 62 in a major, doing so at the 2017 Open Championship.
Qualifiers: Sam Hutsby, -8 Angel Hidalgo, -5 Liam Nolan (a) Jack McDonald*, -4
*Advanced via a 3-for-1 playoff
Notables who failed to qualify: Peter Uhlein Robert Rock (Retired)
Things to know:
– Angel Hidalgo needed to birdie his final hole Tuesday to get in a playoff. He did one better by holing his second shot from 120 yards to assure his spot in the Open Championship.
Qualifiers: Justin Rose, -8 Dominic Clemons (a) Abraham Ancer*, -5 Charlie Lindh*
*Advanced out of 3-for-2 playoff
Notables who failed to qualify: Anirban Lahiri Justin Harding Preston Summerhays (a) (WD)
Things to know:
– Rose was forced to head to final qualifying after falling out of the OWGR top 50 in March and being unable to get back in before the Open cutoff in May, after the Charles Schwab Challenge. He overcame a 12th hole double in his second round to finish as a co-medalist.
“There was obviously huge motivation,” he told the R&A’s Final Qualifying Radio. “The Open has been a bit of a fairytale and love story for me since I was 14, to be honest with you.
“The Open has always been super special and you can kind of take it for granted. As you get a little older, things get harder and in a way I think it’s a good thing to happen (having to qualify) as it makes you appreciate how special it is.”
– Abraham Ancer is the lone LIV golfer to advance to Royal Troon through final qualifying.
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.