The Open 2024: Everything you need to know about Final Qualifying

Everything you need to know ahead of final qualifying for the 152nd Open Championship

The Final Qualifying events for the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon take place on Tuesday 02 July. Here’s everything you need to know as time ticks down to the season’s last Major.

For those failing to achieve one of the 26 exemption criteria for golf’s oldest Major, there is the chance to make the field via the qualification pathway which is broken down into Regional and Final Qualifying.

Regional Qualifying, commonly known as ‘the longest day in golf’, saw 2,000 amateur and professional golfers with a scratch handicap or better compete across 15 venues on June 24.

Two of those professionals included a pair of golf’s most influential social media presences – Rick Shiels (+9) and Peter Finch (+12) who both crashed out at Hesketh and Caldy respectively.

Of those 2,000 golfers, 288 competitors will line up at Final Qualifying, the third-last event in The Open Qualifying Series that has already seen 21 players secure their spots at the 152nd Open Championship. This week’s John Deere Classic and next week’s Genesis Scottish Open provide a handful of final places for the leading players not already exempt.

While the vast majority of the Final Qualifying field is made up of players who have come through Regional Qualification, some amateur and professional players are exempt directly into Final Qualifying based on their past playing achievements.

Where does Final Qualifying take place?

The four venues of Burnham & Berrow, Dundonald Links, Royal Cinque Ports, and West Lancashire host Final Qualifying for Royal Troon.

How does Final Qualifying Work?

Each of the four host venues welcomes a field of 72 players competing over 36 holes for one of four qualification places (possibly more), decided by the lowest aggregate score. Any ties for the final qualification berth at each venue will be decided via a sudden-death play-off.

Who is playing in Final Qualifying?

Burnham & Berrow

Par 71 | Yardage 6,980 | Course Rating 74.6 | Slope Rating 129

Justin Rose is the headline name at the Somerset course, beginning his quest for The Open alongside former low amateur and three-time DP World Tour winner Chris Wood. Olympic Gold Medalist Rose, the low amateur himself in 1998, was runner-up in 2018 and would be one of the most significant names missing in Troon if he were to not qualify.

June’s European Open winner Laurie Canter is also in action in the southwest of England. Canter played as an unattached individual for the first two events of the LIV Golf season before returning to the European Tour where he claimed his maiden title.

Dundonald Links

Par 72 | Yardage 7,269 | Course Rating 76.3 | Slope Rating 138

Less than 10 miles from Royal Troon, the equally impressive Dundonald Links hosts a plethora of recognizable names looking to book their spots in the season’s final Major. Fresh from playing alongside Scottie Scheffler in the final round of the US Open, Tom McKibben attempts to make his second consecutive Major appearance, as does Robert Rock who came through qualifying at Walton Heath to make the Pinehurst field in June.

Other notable names include two-time DP World Tour winner and Scottish home favorite Ewen Ferguson who plays alongside Rock, and Rafa Cabrera Bello who tees off with Stephen Gallacher. Scottish pairing Grant Forrest and Marc Warren also line up at Dundonald in their bid to make a home Major.

Royal Cinque Ports

Par 72 | Yardage 7,229 | Course Rating 76.2 | Slope Rating 146

2010 US Open Champion Graeme McDowell is one of many stars in action in the town of Deal in Kent, teeing it up alongside Matthew Southgate of England. The field also boasts 2018 Ryder Cup winner Alex Noren, three-time DP World Tour winner Antione Rozner, and Thomas Detry, who finds himself inside the top 50 of the OWGRs after a T14 finish at the US Open.

South African Branden Grace, who holds the record for the lowest round in men’s Major championships (62 – 2017 Open) with Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele, and Shane Lowry, also begins his quest for The Open in the southeast of England.

West Lancashire

Par 72 | Yardage 6,973 | Course Rating 75.4 | Slope Rating 140

Fireballs GC captain and 2017 Masters Champion Sergio Garcia is the star attraction at West Lancs, returning for a second year running after missing out on The Open for the first time in 25 years at Royal Liverpool. Sergio will play alongside Sam Bairstow, who made his first US Major appearance at last month’s US Open.

Six-time PGA Tour winner and Open runner-up from 2015 Marc Leishman, now of Ripper GC on the LIV Tour, begins his campaign in the northwest of England, while 2010 Ryder Cup player Jeff Overton attempts to make the field proper for the first time since 2011.

About the author

Ross Tugwood

Senior Digital Writer

Ross Tugwood is a Senior Digital Writer for todays-golfer.com, specializing in data, analytics, science, and innovation.

Ross is passionate about optimizing sports performance and has a decade of experience working with professional athletes and coaches for British Athletics, the UK Sports Institute, and Team GB.

He is an NCTJ-accredited journalist with post-graduate degrees in Performance Analysis and Sports Journalism, enabling him to critically analyze and review the latest golf equipment and technology to help you make better-informed buying decisions.