The Open 2019: The field as it stands

For the first time in 68 years, the Open Championship will take place outside of the British mainland this year.

Northern Ireland’s Royal Portrush Golf Club and its acclaimed Dunluce Links will stage the 148th edition of golf’s oldest professional tournament from July 18-21. 

It will be only the second time the fight for the Claret Jug will have been waged there and the first since 1951, when England’s Max Faulkner claimed the spoils. 

The man to beat this time around is Italy’s Francesco Molinari, following his maiden major victory at Carnoustie in 2018.

Here’s a look at how this year’s field is shaping up.

1. The Open Champions aged 60 or under on July 21, 2019

Mark Calcavecchia, Stewart Cink, Darren Clarke, John Daly, David Duval, Ernie Els, Todd Hamilton, Pádraig Harrington, Zach Johnson, Paul Lawrie, Tom Lehman, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Francesco Molinari, Louis Oosthuizen, Jordan Spieth, Henrik Stenson, Tiger Woods.

Eligible but not expected to enter: Ian Baker-Finch, Ben Curtis, Justin Leonard
Withdrew: John Daly, Todd Hamilton

2. The Open Champions for 2009–2018

3. Top 10 finishers and ties in the 2018 Open Championship

Kevin Chappell, Tony Finau, Kevin Kisner, Matt Kuchar, Eddie Pepperell, Justin Rose, Xander Schauffele.

• Young Scots pro seals his Open berth

4. Top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) for Week 21, 2019

Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Lucas Bjerregaard, Keegan Bradley, Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Patrick Cantlay, Paul Casey, Jason Day, Bryson DeChambeau, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler, Jim Furyk, Sergio García, Justin Harding, Tyrrell Hatton, Billy Horschel, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Marc Leishman, Li Haotong, Shane Lowry, Hideki Matsuyama, Kevin Na, Alex Norén, C.T. Pan, Ian Poulter, Andrew Putnam, Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, Adam Scott, Webb Simpson, Cameron Smith, Brandt Snedeker, Justin Thomas, Matt Wallace, Bubba Watson, Gary Woodland.

Withdrew: Kevin Na

5. Top 30 on the 2018 Race to Dubai

Alexander Björk, Jorge Campillo, Ryan Fox, Russell Knox, Alexander Lévy, Thorbjørn Olesen, Adrián Otaegui, Thomas Pieters, Shubhankar Sharma, Brandon Stone, Andy Sullivan, Lee Westwood, Danny Willett.

6. Last three BMW PGA Championship winners

Chris Wood

7. Top 5 players, not already exempt, within the top 20 of the 2019 Race to Dubai through the BMW International Open

Kurt Kitayama, David Lipsky, Robert MacIntyre, Richard Sterne, Erik van Rooyen

• GMac “very proud” to punch his ticket for Portrush

8. Last five US Open winners

9. Last five Masters Tournament winners

10. Last six US PGA winners

Jimmy Walker

11. Last three Players Championship winners

Kim Si-woo

12. The 30 qualifiers for the 2018 Tour Championship

Patton Kizzire, Kyle Stanley, Aaron Wise

13. Top 5 players, not already exempt, within the top 20 of the 2019 FedEx Cup points list through the Travelers Championship

Charles Howell III, Ryan Palmer, Chez Reavie

Withdrew: Charles Howell III

14. Winner of the 2018 Open de Argentina

Isidro Benítez

15. Playing members of the 2018 Ryder Cup teams

16. Winner of the 2018 Asian Tour Order of Merit

17. Winner of the 2018 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit

Jake McLeod (OQS Australia)

18. Winner of the 2018–19 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit

Zander Lombard

19. Winner of the 2018 Japan Open

Yuki Inamori

• John Daly wants permission to use buggy at Portrush

20. Winner of the 2019 Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup Golf

Yosuke Asaji

21. Top 2 on the 2018 Japan Golf Tour Official Money List

Shugo Imahira, Shaun Norris

22. Top player, not already exempt, on the 2019 Japan Golf Tour Official Money List through the Japan Golf Tour Championship

Mikumu Horikawa

23. Winner of the 2018 Senior Open Championship

Miguel Ángel Jiménez

24. Winner of the 2019 Amateur Championship

James Sugrue (a)

25. Winner of the 2018 US Amateur

Viktor Hovland forfeited his exemption by turning professional in June 2019.

26. Winners of the 2019 European Amateur

Matthias Schmid (a)