The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale has presented a challenging test, with several prominent golfers making the cut while others, including recent major winners, will not proceed to the weekend rounds. The cut line was established at one over par, with 78 players advancing.
Lucas Herbert currently holds a two-stroke lead at the halfway point, following a record-equalling round. Among those within striking distance are Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler, and Tommy Fleetwood. The difference between Herbert’s score and the cut mark is nine strokes, suggesting that the tough conditions and anticipated wind could keep the competition open.
Notable Players Making the Cut
Bryson DeChambeau, despite missing all three major cuts earlier in 2026, had a strong start at Royal Birkdale. He recorded rounds of 67 and 66, although a two-stroke penalty in his second round adjusted his score to a two-under 68. This places the two-time Major winner in a good position after a T10th finish last year at Royal Portrush.
Sam Burns delivered a remarkable performance on Friday, matching the joint-record for the lowest round at a Major with a 62. This came after an opening day where he was three-over. Burns’ participation followed the early birth of his second child, allowing him to travel across the Atlantic for the tournament.
Cameron John, making his Major championship debut, turned his form around to sit within the top-20. He has secured two wins on the PGA Tour of Australasia this year, despite missing his three most recent cuts. Dan Brown, who has missed 10 cuts this year, including five of his past seven starts, also defied his recent form. He temporarily led the final men’s Major of the year on Thursday and has a chance to improve on his T10th finish from 2024.
Matthew Southgate, an Open qualifier, is inside the top-25 despite failing to make the weekend in eight of 12 starts in 2026. His previous T7th finish at Royal Birkdale, the last time The Open was held there, highlights his comfort with the course. Aldrich Potgieter, who was not initially in the field, gained entry after Louis Oosthuizen withdrew due to a back injury. Potgieter, the first alternate, made the cut by a single stroke.
Naoyuki Kataoka, a professional on the Japan Golf Tour and winner of the 2025 Japan Open, made his first Major cut after failing to do so at The Masters earlier this year. He posted three-under on Thursday and followed with a one-over second round. Marcus Plunkett, making his Major debut after qualifying at Dundonald Links, has been in good form on the Asian Tour with two top-10s and three top-25s. He made the cut with a level par round on Thursday and a 71 on Friday.
Jose Luis Ballester, a LIV talent, made his first cut in a Major on his fourth attempt. He secured his spot with an eagle on the par-5 17th and a birdie on the final hole after facing an early exit. Jack McDonald, a Scottish professional with limited official starts this year, made his first Major cut following a hole-out eagle from 114 yards at the par-4 10th.
Major Names Missing the Cut
The challenging conditions at Royal Birkdale saw several high-profile players miss the cut. Among them were this year’s major winners, PGA Championship titlist Aaron Rai and U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark. Rai, who won his first major at Aronomink in May, managed only two birdies over 36 holes. Clark, winner of a second U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills last month, shot a 73 in the first round and a 70 on Friday, but his three-over total was not enough.
Tom Kim, who won the Scottish Open last week, dropped 60 places with a second-round 73 and missed the cut at three over. World No. 3 Matt Fitzpatrick, a past U.S. Open champion, also will not play the weekend after rounds of 72-72. This marks only his second missed cut in his last 14 major starts.
Jordan Spieth, who famously won The Open at Royal Birkdale in 2017, missed the cut for the first time in his career at the tournament. He posted rounds of 73 and 77, including a disastrous 9 on the par-5 17th in his second round, finishing at 10 over. Justin Rose, who made his major debut at Birkdale in 1998, also missed the cut despite a second-round 68, unable to overcome an opening 75.
Other notable players who missed the cut include past Open champions Cameron Smith, Henrik Stenson, and Brian Harman. Popular PGA Tour players Viktor Hovland, Akshay Bhatia, Jason Day, and Gary Woodland also failed to make the cut, as did reigning U.S. Amateur champion Mason Howell.
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Source: golfmonthly.com
