With the cut line at the 154th Open Championship falling at 1-over par, there was fierce competition this week at Royal Birkdale. Only the top 70 players including ties advanced to weekend play. With the final men’s major championship of the year on the line, several notable names fell short, including multiple former Open champions. Here are some big names who didn’t quite make the cut at The Open Championship.
Open Champions Who Didn’t Make the Cut
Most notably, Jordan Spieth, who lifted the Claret Jug the last time The Open was held at Royal Birkdale, won’t be around for the weekend after finishing at 10-over par. He struggled on Friday, shooting three double bogeys and ending the day at 7-over par. He ended the tournament at T149.
2023 Open champion Brian Harman will also miss the cut after posting a 9-over total.
Cameron Smith, winner of The 150th Open at St Andrews, narrowly missed the cut at 2-over. Despite an early push on Friday that included four birdies on the front nine, he couldn’t maintain the momentum. A double bogey on the 15th dropped him back, and although he finished his second round at 1-under, it wasn’t enough to overcome his opening-round 3-over and earn a spot in weekend play.
Other Big Names to Miss the Cut
Despite 3 wins this season on the PGA Tour, Matt Fitzpatrick wasn’t able to recreate that recent success this week at Royal Birkdale. His brother, Alex Fitzpatrick, however is seeing success at the major championship, and currently sits at T8 heading into Saturday.
Gary Woodland, who has made an incredible comeback over the 2026 season, will also unfortunately miss the cut this week. He took home his first PGA Tour win following health struggles back on March 26 at the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
With two second place finishes at The Open, one in 2018 and the other in 2024, Justin Rose wasn’t able to contend at Royal Birkdale and will also miss the cut.
Fresh off his victory at the 2026 U.S. Open, Wyndham Clark‘s early exit comes as a bit of a surprise. After making two double bogeys and three bogeys during his second round, he battled back with several birdies and an eagle at the par-5 17th to finish Friday at even par. However, it wasn’t enough to recover from his opening-round 3-over and get inside the cut line.
Another recent major champion heading home early is Aaron Rai. The 2026 PGA Championship winner finished at 2-over, one shot outside the cut line.
Additional notable players who won’t be around for the weekend include Jason Day, Viktor Hovland, Joaquin Niemann, Tom Kim, Akshay Bhatia, Maverick McNealy, Billy Horschel, Harris English, and Pádraig Harrington.
Close Calls
A few major players managed to barely survive the cut with little room to spare. Brooks Koepka, Keegan Bradley, Aldrich Potgieter, and Min Woo Lee all advanced to the weekend with a 1-over par, landing right above the cut line. Fortunately, Lee made a clutch birdie on the 18th hole to secure his place in the field.
Big Names Who Missed the Cut at the 154th Open Championship