Royal Birkdale sees numerous notable golfers miss the cut at The Open 2026
Notable golfers exit early at Royal Birkdale
Many prominent golfers did not advance to the weekend rounds at The Open 2026 held at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England. The cut line for the tournament was set at 1-over 141, with 79 golfers making it through to the final rounds. Among those who missed the cut were several major champions and highly-ranked players, leading to an early departure from the Lancashire Coast.
Matt Fitzpatrick, the world No. 3 and an Englishman, ended his streak of consecutive made cuts on Tour at 28. He recorded scores of 72 in both rounds. Fitzpatrick attributed his performance to the nature of links golf, noting a lack of favorable bounces and lies. He also ranked near the bottom of the field in SG: Around the Green.
Another notable player, Jordan Spieth, a three-time major champion, was among those who did not finish above the cut line. He shot a 73 in the first round and a 77 in the second round, accumulating a total of 10-over through two rounds. Spieth started his second round with two birdies but finished with two bogeys and three double bogeys, including a three-putt double bogey on hole No. 17.
Cameron Smith, the 2022 Open champion, also missed the cut. After a slow start with a 73 on Thursday, he rallied with four birdies in his first eight holes on Friday. However, the birdies ceased, and a double bogey at the par-3 15th contributed to his early exit. Smith signed for a 69 on Friday, marking his third consecutive year missing the cut at The Open.
Major champions and other contenders fall short
Henrik Stenson, the 2016 Open champion, began with a 68 on Thursday but struggled on Friday with a 4-over 74. This marks the fourth time in the last six Open championships that the Swede has not made it to the weekend. His putting performance was a significant factor, as he lost more than 3½ strokes to the field on the greens.
Wyndham Clark, who won the U.S. Open last month, also missed the cut, his first since the PGA Championship. He posted rounds of 73 and 70. While he made only one birdie on Thursday, Friday saw him record five birdies and an eagle, alongside back-to-back double bogeys at Nos. 2 and 3. Clark ranked 140th in SG: Around the Green.
Tom Kim, the winner of the Genesis Scottish Open a week prior, shot 70-73 and missed the cut. This was his first missed cut since the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in late April. Justin Rose, who emerged as an amateur at Royal Birkdale in 1998, shot a 5-over 75 on Thursday, with eight bogeys contributing to his early departure. Despite his performance, Royal Birkdale made him an honorary member.
Viktor Hovland, who started with an even-par 70, recorded six bogeys on Friday. He struggled with his tee shots, ranking 152nd, and also in SG: Around the Green. This is the second time in his last three Open appearances and the third consecutive major this season that he has missed the cut.
Struggles for consistency among the field
Billy Horschel‘s recent slump continued, as he missed the cut for the sixth time in his last eight starts. Harris English missed the cut in his last three starts, including back-to-back majors, and has only one top 10 finish this season. Aaron Rai, the PGA Championship winner, missed the cut by one stroke after missing a 22-foot par putt on the final hole. He managed only two birdies for the championship.
Jason Day made only one birdie on Thursday en route to a 73 and did not improve significantly on Friday. He ranked 152nd out of 156 in SG: Putting, marking his second consecutive year missing the cut at The Open. Joaquin Niemann shot 76-68, failing to make a birdie on Thursday and going 23 holes before recording one. He struggled with his approach game and putting, making this his third missed cut in the last four years.
Akshay Bhatia, with rounds of 71-73, also missed the cut, bogeying three of his last four holes on Friday. He has missed the cut at three of the four majors this season, and six of 12 in his career. Meanwhile, Max Homa, who finished second at the John Deere Classic, made the cut by eagling the par-5 17th and sinking a 5-foot par putt at the finale to finish even. Hideki Matsuyama, who shot 67 to improve to 1-under, now holds the longest active streak on Tour with 28 consecutive made cuts.
Fourteen players successfully made the cut in all four majors this season: Ludvig Åberg, Michael Brennan, Sam Burns, Corey Conners, Chris Gotterup, Ben Griffin, Kurt Kitayama, Hideki Matsuyama, Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, and Cameron Young. None of the 10 amateurs in the field made the cut.
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Source: golfweek-eu.usatoday.com
