6 big names missing The Open at Royal Portrush
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The high-profile names that will be missing when the action gets underway in Northern Ireland…
The field is set for Royal Portrush – but there will be a number of big names missing The Open.
Big names missing The Open
Whether it’s injury, form or, well, LIV Golf, these six players will not be teeing up at Royal Portrush this week.
Tiger Woods
Who knows when Woods will be back in action after his latest injury layoff? It certainly won’t be before the end of the year, which, incidentally, coincides with his 50th birthday. Will we see you at Augusta, Tiger, or will we be putting you in our ‘big names missing the 2026 Masters’ piece, too?
Max Homa
Homa is having a bit of a miserable time of things this year and finds himself outside the top 100 for the first time since February 2021. Oddly, the last Open the American missed was Portrush in 2019. Maybe he’ll be back when the Claret Jug next returns to Northern Ireland.
Ian Poulter
Feels like fair game putting Poults in here, given he tried to qualify for Royal Portrush. Unfortunately for the Englishman, who hasn’t played in The Open since joining LIV Golf in 2022, Royal Cinq Ports got the better of him in Final Qualifying. Still, at least he’ll have more time to work on his YouTube content…
Graeme McDowell
See also: Mac, G. The Portrush native allowed the occasion to get the better of him in 2019, when he finished in a tie for 57th. Like the Postman, McDowell also failed to deliver on the Kent coast.
Gary Woodland
Recently handed a role at the Ryder Cup – despite never having had any previous involvement in the competition – the 2019 US Open champion headed to Renaissance to try and snatch one of the three Portrush spots on offer at the Scottish Open, but he finished in a tie for 60th.
Alex Noren
Earning more than $15 million on the PGA Tour can buy you a lot of things, but not a place in golf’s oldest major. Noren’s last chance saloon at the Scottish Open resulted in a missed cut. It’s a shame for the Swede – who finished T13 last year and T11 at Portrush in ’19 – as he’s been feeling confident since returning from a lengthy injury layoff.
