Nine notable golfers failed to advance past the 36-hole cut at the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Among them were former champions and recent winners who entered the week with strong form. Players at one over par or better advanced to the weekend rounds.
Jordan Spieth, the 2017 Open winner at the same venue, posted rounds of 73 and 77 to finish 10 over par. He had made 16 of 18 cuts this season but struggled with a three-putt and quadruple bogey on Friday.
Justin Rose shot 75-68 for three over, while Matthew Fitzpatrick ended at four over after rounds of 72-72. Fitzpatrick noted several unlucky bounces on the firm links course.
Viktor Hovland, Wyndham Clark, Tom Kim, Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann and Padraig Harrington also missed the cut. Harrington improved from an opening 80 to a 69 but still fell short.
Several players cited challenging conditions and single poor shots that proved costly in the major.
