Seventy-two players arrived at West Lancashire Golf Club this week for a 36-hole Final Qualifying event for the 2025 Open Championship. But just nine holes into the competition, the field fighting for spots at Royal Portrush was trimmed to 71.
That’s because one LIV Golf pro walked off the course and left without a word.
The pro, Sam Horsfield, was disqualified for his walk-off performance that had been preceded by a disastrous front nine, British golf publication Bunkered confirmed.
Here’s what you need to know.
Horsfield walks off course at 2025 Open qualifier
Following Sunday’s finish at LIV Golf Dallas, 14 LIV players made the flight to England and Scotland to try and claim one of the final spots in the final men’s major of the year.
The top-five finishers at four different qualifying sites earn tee times at Royal Portrush in two weeks. The final qualifiers are especially important for the LIV players in the field because it’s more difficult for them to earn spots in the four major championships in men’s golf.
But with stiff competition and so few places available, every player knew he needed to go low early and often to make it through.
The opposite happened for Horsfield. The 28-year-old pro from England joined LIV Golf when it debuted in 2022, after having collecting three DP World Tour wins early in his career.
Playing in the West Lancashire qualifier on Tuesday, Horsfield struggled to a seven-over 43 over his first nine holes. At that point, he decided he’d had enough and walked off the course, giving up on the pursuit.
But as the R&A confirmed to bunkered.co.uk, Horsfield left the course without alerting anyone to his plans. As a result, he was disqualified. Horsfield later took to Instragram in an attempt to explain his actions, which you can read about here.
(He wasn’t the only one who chose not to finish. Alex Fitzpatrick — brother of 2022 U.S. Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick — Kieran Vincent and Kazuma Kobori were all recorded as DQs before the West Lancashire qualifier had ended.)
You can read the full report from bunkered.co.uk here.
LIV pros and the 2025 Open Championship
When it comes to LIV stars already qualified for the Open Championship at Royal Portrush, it’s a mixed bag.
Many of the top players on the upstart league have already secured tee times. Winners of the Open Championship earn automatic invites to every Open until they turn 60. So LIV pros who have won the Open are set, a list that includes stars like Phil Mickelson, Louis Oosthuizen and Cameron Smith.
Bryson DeChambeau, LIV’s biggest star, earned his place based on his world ranking (No. 15), which he’s been able to maintain since joining LIV by performing well in the majors. He would otherwise be qualified for winning the 2020 and 2024 U.S. Opens.
Dustin Johnson is using his final exemption for winning the 2020 Masters. Meanwhile, Sergio Garcia earned the final automatic spot reserved for the top 5 player on LIV Golf not already qualified.
