Final qualifying for the 151st Open Championship took place Tuesday at four sites across the U.K., and 19 players punched their tickets to Royal Liverpool over 36 holes.
Here is everything you need to know:
DUNDONALD LINKS, SCOTLAND
Qualifiers (four spots): Michael Stewart (71-66, -7), Marco Penge (74-65, -5), Connor McKinney (70-71, -3), Graeme Robertson (70-71, -3)
Notables who failed to qualify: Craig Ross (-3), Angus Flanagan (-2), Robert Rock (-2), Andy Ogletree (-2), a-Calum Scott (-2), a-TK Chantananuwat (E), Aaron Rai (+1), Michael Block (+9), a-Mark Power (+10), Jason Kokrak (DQ), Alex Del Rey (WD)
Need to know: Scotland’s Robertson drained a pair of long putts – on his 36th hole to force extra holes, and then again on the fifth playoff hole – to secure his Open spot. The 35-year-old Robertson was a promising amateur out of Stirling University, making the 2012 European Palmer Cup team and finishing runner-up at the 2014 Scottish Amateur. But shortly after that second-place showing at his home amateur, Robertson quit competitive golf and got a day job as a salesman for a building supplies company. He only a couple years ago decided to start his professional-golf career, and he’s played mostly mini-tours in the U.K. and Europe. His last OWGR-ranked start was in 2014, on the Challenge Tour as an amateur. He didn’t find out he was in the qualifying field at Dundonald until Saturday, when he got in as an alternate out of regional qualifying. “I did it the hard way and I’m waiting for it to sink in,” Robertson, a husband and also father to a 9-year-old daughter, told reporters on Tuesday. “Unbelievable. I was thinking about Hoylake all the way round, non-stop. I still can’t believe it is going to happen. I’m getting old. It’s a dream.” … Stewart also is a former Scottish amateur standout, winning the 2008 Scottish Boys’ Amateur and 2010 Scottish Amateur, and will be making his Open debut. … Penge carded an eagle and five birdies in his second round. He also qualified for last year’s Open, his first, before missing the cut at St. Andrews. He won on the EuroPro Tour in 2019 but later suffered a right-knee injury that required surgery in October 2021. He missed about seven months of action. He now plays mostly on the Challenge Tour. … Connor McKinney was born in Scotland before moving to Australia at age 13. He turned pro late last year after an amateur career in which he won the Australian Amateur and St. Andrews Links Trophy. … Jason Kokrak did not return his scorecard after an opening 80 and was disqualified.
ROYAL CINQUE PORTS, ENGLAND
Qualifiers (five spots): Thomas Detry (72-69, -3), Martin Rohwer (72-69, -3), Charl Schwartzel (72-70, -2), Branden Grace (70-72, -2), Antoine Rozner (71-71, -2)
Notables who failed to qualify: David Puig (+1), Dean Burmester (+4), Harry Hall (+4), a-Daniel Rodrigues (+5), Zander Lombard (+6), Kieran Vincent (WD), Wade Ormsby (WD)
Need to know: Nineteen active LIV members entered final qualifying, but when Tuesday arrived, only 10 of those players teed it up. Of those 10, three advanced, including two out of Royal Cinque Ports – Schwartzel and Grace. This will be Schwartzel’s 15th Open appearance. His best finish, a T-7, came at Royal Liverpool in 2014. Grace qualifies for an 11th Open. His history in the championship is highlighted by his third-round 62 at Royal Birkdale in 2017. Laurie Canter was the third LIV player to qualify, medaling at Royal Porthcawl. Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Bubba Watson, Paul Casey and Eugenio Chacarra were among the 17 LIV guys who didn’t enter final qualifying. … Belgium’s Detry has played in two previous Opens, in 2021 (MC) and last year (T-34). The Illinois product has eight top-25s, including a Bermuda runner-up, this season as a PGA Tour rookie. … South Africa’s Rohwer, 29, has won twice on the Sunshine Tour, on which he currently plays, and will be making his Open debut. … France’s Rozner, 30, made his Open debut in 2021, tying for 59th. … Puig was the only LIV player to play final qualifying after getting through regional qualifying.
ROYAL PORTHCAWL, WALES
Qualifiers (five spots): Laurie Canter (69-65, -8), Brandon Robinson Thompson (66-72, -4), Matthew Southgate (72-68, -2), Jazz Janewattananond (71-70, -1), Oliver Farr (71-70, -1)
Notables who failed to qualify: Julien Brun (+1), Oliver Bekker (+1), Thomas Aiken (+3), Anirban Lahiri (+4)
Need to know: Canter, one of three LIV players to advance, has made two of three career cuts at The Open. He birdied four of his last five holes of final qualifying to shoot 6-under 65 and medal. … Robinson Thompson shot 1 over in his second round, but he held on thanks to an opening 66. The incoming Open debutant has won on the MENA and EuroPro tours in the past year. … Southgate made his Open debut at Royal Liverpool in 2014, missing the cut. His best finish in five career Open starts is T-6 at Royal Birkdale in 2017. … Thailand’s Jazz J. eagled his penultimate hole to finish a shot clear of the cut line. This will be his fourth Open start. … Farr, of Wales, was runner-up on the Challenge Tour on Sunday before getting through final qualifying for the second straight year. … Hugh Foley bogeyed his last hole to miss out on forcing a playoff by a single shot, but he also aced the par-3 11th hole earlier on his final nine. The Irish amateur is ranked No. 130 in WAGR and was recently T-4 at the European Amateur. Last summer he won both Irish Amateur titles, North and South.
WEST LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND
Qualifiers (five spots): Matt Wallace (68-65, -11), Matthew Jordan (65-69, -10), Kyle Barker (66-68, -10) Alex Fitzpatrick (70-65, -9), a-Tiger Christensen (68-67, -9)
Notables who failed to qualify: Sergio Garcia (-6), Davis Shore (-6), Graeme McDowell (-4), Jamie Donaldson (-3), a-Matthew McClean (-3), Garrick Porteous (-2), a-Archie Davies (+1), a-Joe Pagdin (+3), a-Barclay Brown (+7)
Need to know: Fitzpatrick holed a tricky bunker shot (watch above) for eagle on the par-5 fifth hole during his second round, and later he birdied Nos. 13-16 en route to shooting 7-under 65. This month’s Open will mark the younger Fitzpatrick brother’s first major appearance. … England’s Jordan, 27, was a GB&I Walker Cupper in 2017 before turning pro and winning on the Challenge Tour in 2019. He qualified for last year’s Open at St. Andrews, where he missed the cut, and now will make his second Open start at Royal Liverpool, where he has been a member since age 7. He still lives in Hoylake, and he had a massive gallery following him at West Lancashire. “Playing in front of my home crowd today was brilliant,” Jordan said, “so I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like come two weeks’ time.” … Wallace won his first PGA Tour event earlier this season in the Dominican Republic, but the former top-25 player in the world is currently No. 127. This will be his fourth Open start, first since 2021. … South Africa’s Barker will be making his major debut, as will Germany’s Christensen, a rising junior at Arizona after spending his freshman season at Oklahoma State. … Garcia, who played alongside Jordan, will miss The Open for the first time since 1997. He opened in 67 before playing his last 12 holes in 2 over to end up three shots shy of a playoff.
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