(Mostly) 154th Open News & Notes
Last Chance Qualifier, new fan behavior policy, St Andrews ballot, and other notes ahead of championship week. Plus, USA announces the first four headed to Lahinch, Quotable, This, That & Reads.
The R&A’s been busy.
Ahead of The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale they’ve…
Filled 15 spots in the field off the OWGR and, (A) a few names may surprise/intrigue, (B) it really lands with a thud after another incredible onslaught of Final Qualifying mini-miracle stories. But welcome to the field, gents.
Solidified Monday’s first-ever Last Chance Qualifier that’s got an added dose of fun thanks to ContentcreatorYouTuberinternetpersonalityTourwinner Wesley Bryan making it.
Announced a new fan behavior policy at this year’s championship. One which, sadly, doesn’t make clear whether a random “Mashed Potatoes” will get you ejected or arrested and charged for Dated Attempts At Hearing Ones Voice When Rewatching The Round On The DVR.
There is also the looming story that could become a non-story by Saturday night if Erling Haaland has his way.
England’s Saturday quarterfinal match against Haaland’s Norway squad means the host country of this year’s Open is also just two wins away from the World Cup final. And it appears that final round tee times will be moved up should England reach July 19th’s 8 p.m. BST final in New York.
The R&A’s CEO, Mark Darbon, signaled in April that the organization would be monitoring the situation. This week The Times’ Rick Broadbent and Paul Joyce reported that “golf chiefs will consider an earlier than normal finish” to leave room for a playoff. But more vitally for hooch sales in the UK, to allow fans to comfortably order their first pint.
The final pairing typically goes at 2:30 p.m. local time, and The Open uses a three-hole aggregate format to settle times. There has not been a playoff since 2015. Last year, Saturday tee times were moved up 15 minutes due to the annual parade in Portrush.
“Of course, some things are out of our control in terms of playoffs and the like, but we will attempt to avoid a clash, yes,” Darbon said during April’s media day.
Some of the concern may be related to the R&A’s overbearing affinity for the Champion’s walk up the 18th in front of full stands. This vanity play wouldn’t be a big deal except that it comes at the expense of constructing a few more viewing stands throughout the course (except at St Andrews). Anyway, if England reaches the final, the R&A will be looking to avoid a spectacle where a lot of people appear dressed as navy seats to salute the Champion Golfer of the Year. Or, as the R&A staff might call it in various encrypted Telegram group therapy chats, The 2024 Nightmare.
Moving along from that grim memory, the already-underway Genesis Scottish Open is on schedule for a late Sunday finish to accommodate CBS. The top three players not already exempt for The Open and who make the cut at Renaissance will be at Birkdale. With more than half of the 156-player Scottish Open field in The Open, they could be digging deep down the leaderboard for those three spots.
Earlier this week, here were the 15 players who booked their trip via Official World Golf Ranking status as of July 6th:
Sam Stevens
Nicolas Echavarria
Pierceson Coody
Ryo Hisatsune
Michael Brennan
David Puig
Tom Kim
Eric Cole
Keith Mitchell
Matt Wallace
Sami Valimaki
Max Homa
Thomas Detry
Max Greyserman
Sahith Theegala
The reserves are:
Aldrich Potgieter
Matti Schmid
But, and there’s a but for the first time ever…
Last Chance Qualifier Field
The twelve teeing off at Royal Birkdale for the final berth into the Open beginning at 7:30 a.m. BST Monday, July 13th:
Aldrich Potgieter
Matti Schmid
Matt Moloney (a)
Joe Dean
Sam Easterbrook (a)
Adri Arnaus
John Gough
Angel Hidalgo
Charles Huntzinger
Marcus Helligkilde
Andrew Wilson
Wesley Bryan
The field has been determined by the criteria previously announced in December last year. The draw will be announced on Saturday in an event shaping up to give the championship a nice injection of edge on the normally sleepy Monday.
R&A Fan Policy: “The Open Commitment”
The R&A has announced “The Open Commitment,” a new fan code of conduct which “celebrates the unique atmosphere that has defined golf's original Championship for more than 165 years.”
Translation: to remind people that, until now, we didn’t have to tell you to stop acting like a knob, so we’re going to lay out a few not-so-subtle reminders to not become just like the lowy Americans. Or something like that.
The Commitment features five principles and “encourages everyone attending to play their part in protecting the traditions which make The Open one of the world's great sporting events.”
Here are the principles (period included for max impact):
Respect the Players.
Respect the Links.
Respect Each Other.
Be Aware.
Enjoy Responsibly.
“The Open Commitment isn't about changing what makes The Open so special, it is about maintaining its long-standing traditions,” said R&A Chief Mark Darbon. “By following a few simple principles, everyone can help ensure The Open remains a welcoming, respectful and unforgettable experience for all."
The R&A notes that passing through the gate means fans have agreed to comply with “The Open Commitment and the Championship’s ticket terms and conditions,” before noting that “serious or repeated breaches may result in removal from the course.”
The Open Commitment comes just weeks after fans at the U.S. Open failed to perform like a normal major championship gallery. However, the R&A’s code was likely something in the works long before the Shinnecock Hills situation and a response to the 2025 Ryder Cup where fan conduct overwhelmed the event.
This is also a reminder that the R&A will be expected to reveal a player code of conduct in line with the first three majors of 2026. The Masters announced its policy with a green jacket visit on Sergio’s 4th tee, while the PGA of America acknowledged an extensive code when asked, and the USGA’s approach this year led to a two-stroke penalty for Joaquin Niemann.
This And That
Three-time defending champion Kipp Popert of England closed with a final-round 63 and 18-under-par, 198 total to win the U.S. Adaptive Open. And defending champion Kim Moore of Fort Wayne, Indiana, won her third U.S. Adaptive Open title by six strokes.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler will headline the field for the inaugural Heroes Classic, which is taking place on Tuesday during The 154th Open. The Heroes Classic will feature some of the “world’s best players, amateurs, and high-profile R&A Ambassadors in a more intimate and relaxed atmosphere.” Previous Champion Golfers at Royal Birkdale are joining Scheffler: Jordan Spieth and Pádraig Harrington, AIG Women's Open Champion Miyu Yamashita, past Women’s Amateur Champion Paula Martín Sampedro and G4D Open Champion Brendan Lawlor. In addition, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood will also tee it up alongside “high-profile figures from sports and entertainment.” The Heroes Classic will be contested in teams of three players over the 1st, 2nd, and 9th holes at Royal Birkdale using a Texas Scramble format.
Quotable
Golf Channel’s Rich Lerner on one reason he’s excited for The Open. “The possibility that we could all be in Southport, England, on July 19th, and what could turn out to be the greatest single day in the history of English sports is exciting to me. I’m projecting ahead just a tad right now, but give me Tommy Fleetwood to win and England to beat France in the World Cup Final on that Sunday, and I’m not sure we’re not going to be able to get out of Manchester the following day.”
Rory McIlroy on what he saw on his Royal Birkdale scouting trip. “There are usually sets of bunkers on both sides of the fairway. So you’re always having to challenge one set of bunkers to get to where you want your ball to finish…there’s a lot of holes like that where it’s a lot of strategy, but like okay, I know I’m hitting a club that could get me into trouble but to be in the best possible position for my second shot, that’s the shot that I need to play.”
Paul McGinley on R&A changes to Open venues in recent years. “I can’t think of any changes that really stand out as being so much better. I don’t think the new par 3 in Hoylake was a success, and there’s talk about having to redo it. I don’t think the new 7th and 8th holes in Portrush are amazing or fantastic, certainly people don’t talk about them the way they do the other holes…I have seen the plans of what they’re doing to Portmarnock in order to make it playable for the modern player, and it’s a sad indictment that so many changes are going to be forced on one of the great golf courses in Ireland in order just to accommodate the vast distances the golf ball is hit now.”
Nick Faldo on one-inch tees as a backdoor rollback solution. “All I’m asking is to do some testing. Let’s give it to the pros, get it on the range and get some feedback.”
Ballot Opens For The 155th
The ticket ballot for The 155th Open at St Andrews is now open to apply for the championship from July 11-18th, 2027.
The ticket ballot runs from July 6th to Friday, July 24, 2026.
To enter the ballot, fans will need to be members of the (free) One Club.
In announcing the ballot, the R&A not-so-subtly points out that “those entering the ballot should be aware that in all recent years, fans who have applied for tickets on Practice Days have had a higher chance of success given that Championship Day ticket applications have been up to ten times oversubscribed.”
The fix is in! I’ve certainly heard of worse plights in the sports ticket-buying world.
The 155th will start off with the second-ever Last-Chance Qualifier on Monday, July 12th, along with the Heroes Classic on Tuesday, July 13, featuring Champions of The Open and “special guests” playing in teams over the 1st, 2nd, 17th and 18th holes of the Old Course.
For more, check out the Open ballot landing page.
USA Walker Cup Announces First Four
The USGA Team Selection Committee announced the first four members of this September’s 10-man team that will bring the Walker Cup to Lahinch September 5-6.
The first three in are the top Americans in the World Amateur Golf Ranking as of July 8th: Preston Stout, 22, of Dallas, Texas; Tyler Watts, 18, of Huntsville, Ala.; and Ethan Fang, 21, of Plano, Texas.
Miles Russell, 17, of Jacksonville Beach, Fla. has been added via the USGA Team Selection Committee.
Both Stout and Fang are returning for their second Walker Cup appearances after being apart of the victorious team at Cypress Point.
Watts and Russell, both juniors, will be making their debuts.
“Preston and Ethan bring the kind of experience that only comes from having done this before, and that continuity is vital heading into Lahinch,” said USA Captain Nathan Smith. “Tyler and Miles are young players on the rise who have already shown they belong on this stage. Together they give us a great mix of proven and rising talent, and I couldn’t be more excited to lead this group.”
The USGA Team Selection Committee could name additional players to the team prior to the U.S. Amateur Championship at Merion. And American winner of the 2026 U.S. Amateur and the recipient of the 2026 McCormack Medal also earn automatic exemptions.
Reads
🏴 Iain Carter on Rory McIlroy’s Scottish Open warning to the PGA Tour.
🧐 Joseph LaMagna compares this year’s Open course with Royal Lytham, host of the 156th.
👨🏻🏫 Alex Perry offers lively hole descriptions of Royal Birkdale.
⛳️ Perry also profiles the best courses in the greater vicinity of Birkdale.
🤟Greg Midland covers all of the respective category winners from the U.S. Adaptive Open.
😬 Michael Bamberger on how Tiger & Phil could have been Jack & Arnie and, well, that’s not happening.
🤖 Jennifer Lindhaul on who uses more water: golf courses or data centers.
Have a great weekend…The 154th is almost here!
Geoff
The Rich Lerner quote is funny! He & Jim Nantz are the ultimate drama kings & table-setters in history of golf promotion!
The Harris caddy situation is unfortunate and in my opinion a poor rule. But it is no different to anyone trying to enter the US on a visa waiver program declaring a drug conviction.
Letʼs see if a certain world leader with nothing better to do starts screaming about it on their own social platform in the hope of getting yet another ban overturned!