8 big names missing from The Open

The full field is almost set for the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

Golf’s oldest major returns to Hoylake for the first time since Rory McIlroy lifted the Claret Jug in 2014.

And what makes The Open so great is that, by definition, anyone can take part.

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In total, 19 players in the 159-player field for the final major of the year secured their place through Final Qualifying, which was available to all golfers with a handicap index of 0.4 or better.

There are three final spots in the Open Qualifying Series handed out at the Genesis Scottish Open in North Berwick this weekend.

Those spots will be given to the three highest finishers who are not already exempt for Hoylake.

However, while a stacked world-class field is already guaranteed on the famous Wirral links, there will be some notable absentees at the prestigious tournament.

Here’s a look at eight players who, at this stage, won’t be teeing it up at Hoylake next week…

Tiger Woods 

Woods is still recovering from his latest fusion surgery after this year’s Masters and it is still unclear when the 15-time major champion could next make his next competitive appearance. The 47-year-old will miss the fifth Open of his career this year at Hoylake, the scene of one of his most poignant major victories back in 2006. His three Open wins mean he has exemptions until the age of 60, but it is uncertain whether we will see him tee it up in this championship ever again.

Sergio Garcia 

Garcia will miss his first Open in 25 years. The Spaniard’s five-year major exemption from his 2017 Masters triumph expired last year and he has slipped so far down the world rankings following his defection to LIV Golf that he was forced to enter Final Qualifying this year. He had huge support as he battled for one of five qualifying spots in a tense 36-hole shootout at West Lancashire Golf Club, but stalled in his second round and finished three shots shy.

Lee Westwood

Westwood won’t be playing in the Open for the first time since 1994, a streak that seen him compete in the tournament for 27 consecutive years. After turning 50, Westwood had instead prioritised teeing it up in the Senior Open at Royal Porthcawl a week later this year, before it transpired he had been banned from that tournament.

“I sit down at the start of the year, do a schedule, and see when the qualifying was for the Open Championship,” he explained at the recent LIV London event.

“I knew this was going to be a busy week, knew that I played Valderrama, thought it was a good opportunity to play my first ever seniors event and it be the Seniors Open Championship, which is the week after the Open.

“So I’d entered and committed to that. Unfortunately, the Seniors Open doesn’t look to be as open as the Open Championship, so was barred from playing in that.”

Ian Poulter

The former Ryder Cup hero cited scheduling issues for not to take part in Final Qualifying this year. He has made 20 Open appearances in total but turned down the chance at another tilt for the Claret Jug as the marathon qualifying day took place in between two LIV Golf events.

“To sandwich 36 holes right in the middle of two tournaments that I’m working hard to play well on didn’t make sense for me at the time,” he said.

Graeme McDowell

McDowell joined Garcia in arguably the strongest ever field in Open Qualifying at West Lancs, but also failed to make the cut. The former US Open champion will miss the Open for a third year in a row after finishing five shots shy on four-under over two rounds at the Merseyside links.

Will Zalatoris 

Zalatoris has signalled that he will make his return to competitive action in September after missing the entire major season. The American revealed he was pain-free in May after back surgery following his late withdrawal form the Masters, but his third Open start has unfortunately come too soon.

Michael Block 

The hero of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill in May, Block admirably travelled over to Scotland in the hope of sealing his spot at Hoylake. Block competed at Dundonald Links in Final Qualifying but ultimately fell well short with disappointing rounds of 77 and 76. We will see him on the major championship stage again next year, however, after his unforgettable hole-in-one helped him to a T15 finish at the PGA, which was enough to qualify for next year’s tournament.

Ludvig Aberg 

The rise of Aberg has been quite something in the past few months. There is huge hype around the young Swede who only made his professional debut earlier this year, with a Ryder Cup wildcard now a serious possibility. But Aberg is one of the many players who needs a strong week at the Scottish Open to seal his last minute entry. The 23-year-old must be one of the three highest finishers of those who have not already secured their Open place.