2024 Open Championship: 5 Biggest Names Missing From the 156-Player Field
The pro golfers have one last chance to grab a victory at this seasonās Majors! The 152nd Open Championship has arrived at the Royal Troon, after the open qualifiers. A total of sixteen players became a part of the field through the four 36-hole final qualifiers that were held across Scotland and England two weeks ahead of the championship.
The remaining spots were filled by players who bagged the top positions on the tournament marked under the āOpen Qualifying seriesā by the R&A. While top Players like Scottie Scheffler, and Rory McIlroy will be back on the field after their breaks, some of the top pros have gone missing from the field of the final menās Major of the season!
From Sergio Garcia to Patrick Reed, pros who are not part of The Open:ADVERTISEMENT
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At the 2023 Open Championship, Brian Harman shot a one-under 70 and won the title for the first time by six shots. He took home the Claret Jug and a whopping $3 million home, along with 600 FedEx points. This year, the winner gets a revised amount of $3.1 million, from the raised $17 million purse. Here are the top 5 names that will not be competing for the coveted prize money:
Sergio GarciaThe 2024 Open Championship would have marked the 100th time that Sergio Garcia would be a part of the Majors. However, his dreams were shattered as the 2017 Masters Champion failed to qualify for the final Majors of the season at the Royal Troon by just two strokes. He also had a rift with the tournament officials, as he was being followed by a crowd of more than 1500 people
. According to him, they had to stop on every tee for a few minutes because people were walking on the course. āUnless they wanted us to start hitting people, how could we hit? We had to wait. I donāt think they took that into account, which was unfortunate. It made us rush,ā said an angry and disheartened Garcia.
Patrick ReedPatrick Reedās impressive streak of playing in every major championship since the 2014 Masters came to an end with his withdrawal from the 2024 U.S Open qualifiers at the Dallas Athletic Club, after being on the list for the sectional qualifier. As per the rules stated by the USGA, any golfer who withdraws himself from a qualifier, cannot qualify at a different site on a later date. As a result, he will also be missing his first Open Championship since 2013, and will next appear at the 2025 Masters, for which he has an exemption for life. Out of his nine appearances at the Open, his 10th finish in 2019 at the Royal Portrush was the best!
Talor GoochTalor Gooch, who is currently one of LIV Golfās biggest stars, did not earn an invite to the Masters in April. However, in May, the 2023 LIV Golfer of the Year received an invite to play at the PGA Championship at Valhalla based on his previous performances. Unfortunately, he failed to grab the opportunity well enough and landed himself with a 60th-position finish. After the second Major, the player who has already played the Open three times did not even attempt to qualify for either the US Open or the Open Championship this year. The Smash GC Player only made one major appearance this year.
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Thomas DetryThomas Detry, currently ranked 53 on the OWGR list is been having the best season so far. He has finished in the Top-10 four times, which includes a T2 at the Texas Childrenās Houston Open, and a T4 at the AT&Y Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February. Additionally, he also bagged a T4 at the PGA Championship and a T14 at the US Open. However, all these accolades are not enough to get into the field for the Open Championship, as he does not have a single victory this year. He remains to be the highest-ranked player who will not make an appearance at the Royal Troon.
Nick DunlapADVERTISEMENT
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Nick Dunlap turned professional shortly after his maiden victory at the American Express in January where he carded an impressive score of 29-under. He became the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour after Phil Mickelson in 1991, missing out on a $1.5 million reward due to his status. He even qualified for the Royal Troon after winning the 2023 US Amateur Championship. Had he retained his amateur status, he would have qualified, but he failed to do so after turning pro. He did not win enough accolades.
Apart from this, other prominent names like Graeme McDowell, Branden Grace, and Carlos Ortiz, will not be a part of the field at the Royal Troon. While Rory McIlroy will be on a quest for a victory after giving out disappointing performances! Will he be able to grab a Majors victory? Let us know in the comments section below!
