The Open 2024: Final Qualifying Roundup as Ryder Cup teammates experience mixed fortunes

Who came through Final Qualifying for the 152nd Open at Royal Troon?

Who prevailed at Final Qualifying for the 152nd Open Championship, and which big names fell short in their bid to make the field at Troon?

The first tee shots of ‘golf’s longest day’ were struck from the first tee of Burnham & Berrow at 06.30 on Tuesday where 72 golfers including US Open Champion Justin Rose were attempting to secure themselves a place at The Open Championship in Final Qualifying.

Shortly after, more shots were fired at three further courses – Dundonald Links, Royal Cinque Ports, and West Lancashire – where a further 72 players at each venue battled through 36 holes in the hope of attaining one of the four qualifying spots available.

Whilst many of the 288 scratch, or better, players came through Regional Qualifying on 24 June, a smattering of places in each of the four Final Qualifying fields were reserved for players based on their past playing achievements. And given the R&A does not entertain ‘special invitations’ to LIV players failing to meet one of the 26 exception categories, Final Qualifying represents their only chance of making the field at the final Major of the season, if they choose to compete.

It’s not just players from the breakaway tour who need to rely on Final Qualifying, however. Many PGA and DP World Tour stars need to earn their place the hard way too. For example, players to have fallen outside the top 50 in the OWGRs or failed to finish in the top 30 in the 2023 Race to Dubai Rankings or FedExCup Rankings must all take the qualification pathway unless previous tournament success exemptions are still valid.

So, when the final putt dropped at around 19.30 after over 13 hours of action, who prevailed to claim one of Royal Troon’s coveted final spots, and who must wait another year?

The 16 Qualifiers for Troon:

Burnham & Berrow

• Justin Rose sails through in Somerset to make his 21st Open Championship field.
• English amateur Dominio Clemons finishes T1 with Rose on -8.
• Abraham Ancer and Charlie Lindh both qualify in a three-for-two playoff.

Justin Rose: There was obviously huge motivation. The Open has been a bit of a fairytale and love story for me since I was 14, to be honest with you. As you get a little older, things get harder and in a way, I think it’s a good thing to happen (having to qualify) as it makes you appreciate how special it is.

Abraham Ancer: It feels amazing. I’m extremely happy. I managed to make it really tough on myself, but I bounced back and I played a good hole here in the play-off to get through.

Dundonald Links

• English two-time Challenge Tour winner Sam Hutsby storms through at Dundonald.
• Spain’s Angel Hidalgo and Irish amateur Liam Nolan qualify on -5 with the Spaniard holing out for eagle on the 72nd hole to avoid a playoff.
• Jack McDonald of Scotland wins a three-man playoff to secure his place.

Angel Hidalgo: I’m still shaking. I didn’t see the ball go in (for eagle on the last), but to be honest, I don’t care. I just jumped and cried with my caddie and we deserve it. We fight a lot, all this year we’ve not really had luck, so if finally I take the place (in The Open) it would be a really good gift.

Jack McDonald: I remember playing in the Amateur Championship in 2012 at Royal Troon and I was like, ‘how good would it be to play in an Open there?’ And I just can’t believe that is going to happen now.

Royal Cinque Ports

• Graeme McDowell misses out finishing T19 on +1 (72, 73).
• England’s Matthew Southgate finishes top of the pile by three shots on -6.
• Spanish amateurs Jamie Montojo Fernandez and Luis Masaveu claim final spots.

Matthew Southgate: I’m over the moon. That was a real test of links golf. It took a lot of patience and a lot of working out. It just reminds me of my dad. The Open is the absolute best, I can’t wait. It just means everything.

Elvis Smylie: Just saying that I’ve qualified for The Open gives me goosebumps. The last time I went to The Open was at Royal Troon in 2016 when I was 14 years old. Going there as a spectator eight years ago and now going back as a competitor – I don’t know what to say. I just can’t wait for the experience.

West Lancashire

• Sergio Garcia misses out for the second year running, finishing T6 on -3 (71, 70) with the Spaniard seen to lose his cool with officials after a slow-play warning.
• English trio Matthew Dodd-Berry, Sam Horsfield, and Daniel Brown all secure their tickets to Troon.
• Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura completes the quartet of qualifiers.

Sergio Garcia: I come here and I try my hardest to get into The Open. It would be nice to make The Open my 100th major, but it was tough conditions and sometimes things don’t go your way. I tried all I could and that’s all I can ask myself for.

Sam Horsfield: I am looking forward to it. I’ve turned my game around in the last few weeks and made a few changes. I feel like my brain is [in] the right place with everything, and then obviously that leads to good golf. It is going to be a great few weeks, the major in the middle of it. It is going to be epic.

*Player reaction credit: Final Qualifying Radio

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.