The Open Championship 2026 field is set. See which LIV Golf stars made it to Royal Birkdale and how they qualified. Plus, who surprisingly missed the cut.
The Big Names Making the Cut (and How)
So, Who’s Actually Playing?
- Jon Rahm: OWGR 37. How he got in? Won the 2024 U.S. Open, top 10 at The Open last year, and he’s inside the top 50 in the world rankings. Solid. His best finish at The Open? T8 back in 2022.
- Bryson DeChambeau: OWGR 11. He qualified by winning the 2023 Masters and staying inside the top 50 OWGR. He almost won The Open in 2023, T2. Close call.
- Tyrrell Hatton: OWGR 22. He made it through the 2025 Race to Dubai standings (top 25) and is inside the top 50 OWGR. His best Open finish was T5 in 2016.
- Adrian Meronk: OWGR 48. He qualified through the 2026 LIV Golf standings after LIV Andalucia. He’s had a T53 at The Open before.
- Dean Burmester: OWGR 66. He got in on the world rankings reserve list, as one of the highest ranked outside the top 50 on July 6th. His only Open appearance was a missed cut in 2024.
- Eugenio Chacarra: OWGR 80. Another one who got in via the world rankings reserve list, same as Burmester. He had a decent T13 in 2023.
- Cameron Smith: OWGR 140. He’s a former champ! Won the 2022 Open. He’s in. His best finish? A win, obviously.
- Shane Lowry: OWGR 419. Another former champ! Won the 2019 Open. He’s in. Best finish: a win.
- Joaquin Niemann: OWGR 97. He qualified through the Open Qualifying Series, finishing runner-up at the New Zealand Open. He’s had a T15 at The Open back in 2022.
- David Puig: OWGR 135. He also got in through the Open Qualifying Series, winning the Hong Kong Open. He made the cut at T66 in 2024.
- Abraham Ancer: OWGR 132. He made it through Final Qualifying. His only Open appearance was a missed cut in 2023.
- Carlos Ortiz: OWGR 189. He also came through Final Qualifying. He finished T44 in 2017.
- Paul Haley II: OWGR 293. Final Qualifying again. This will be his first Open appearance in 2026.
- Talor Gooch: OWGR 143. He’s in through the top 25 in the 2025 Race to Dubai standings. He had a T17 in 2023.
- Scott Jamieson: OWGR 152. He qualified through the top five on the OWGR’s International Federation Ranking List. He missed the cut in 2022.
- Ryo Hisatsune: OWGR 163. He got in by finishing top three at the Scottish Open, and wasn’t already exempt. He had a T34 in 2022.