It’s nearly time for the 154th Open Championship and the field for Royal Birkdale is almost complete.
After the R&A added a further 15 players from the Official World Golf Ranking that took the field up to 152 with 156 starters set to tee off on the Southport coast for the first round of the Open on Thursday July 16.
The top three finishers at the Genesis Scottish Open not otherwise exempt will claim places in the field for Birkdale, with one final spot up for grabs in Monday’s first-ever Last-Chance Qualifier.
Scottie Scheffler is the defending Open champion after his triumph at Royal Portrush last year, while Jordan Spieth claimed an epic Claret Jug success on the last visit to Birkdale back in 2017.
This will be the 11th time the popular Southport links has hosted The Open, with only St Andrews staging it more times since Birkdale’s debut back in 1954.
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Some of the sport’s biggest icons have won the Claret Jug at Birkdale, with Peter Thomson winning the first and last of his five Open titles there in 1954 and 1965.
Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Ian Baker-Finch, Mark O’Meara and Padraig Harrington are on the star-studded list of Open champions at Birkdale, but who will join them?
Here’s the full field for the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale and how they qualified via the R&A qualifying criteria and exemption categories
1: Open Champions aged 60 or under on July 19 2026. (for all winners up to and including 2023)
Phil Mickelson will not be playing at the Open Championship this year
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Brian HarmanCameron SmithCollin MorikawaShane LowryFrancisco MolinariJordan SpiethHenrik StensonRory McIlroyDarren ClarkeLouis OosthuizenStewart CinkPadraig HarringtonDavid Duval2: Open Champions aged 55 or under on 19 July 2026. (for all winners from 2024 onwards)
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Scottie SchefflerXander Schauffele4: The 2025 Open top 10 and tiesHarris EnglishChris GotterupHaotong LiMatt FitzpatrickWyndham ClarkRobert MacIntyreCorey ConnersRussell HenleyBryson DeChambeau5: Top 50 in the OWGR after Week 21
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Cameron YoungJustin RoseTommy FleetwoodJ.J. SpaunJon RahmLudvig AbergAaron RaiJustin ThomasBen GriffinSepp StrakaSi Woo KimHideki MatsuyamaAlex NorenPatrick ReedJacob BridgemanKristoffer ReitanAkshay BhatiaTyrrell HattonNicolai HojgaardKurt KitayamaMin Woo LeeViktor HovlandPatrick CantlayMaverick McNealyKeegan BradleySam BurnsRyan GerardRickie FowlerJake KnappAlex SmalleyJason DayDaniel BergerMarco PengeGary WoodlandMichael KimMatt McCartyAdam Scott6: Top 25 in 2025 Race to Dubai Laurie CanterAdrien SaddierJohn ParryKeita NakajimaRasmus Neergaard-PetersenJordan SmithDaniel BrownDaniel HillierMartin CouvraAngel AyoraJoakin LagergrenRasmus Hojgaard7: BMW PGA Championship winners 2023-20258: First 5 DP World Tour members in top 20 of Race to Dubai after 2026 BMW International OpenJayden SchaperAndy SullivanBernd WiesbergerDan BradburyHennie Du Plessis10: PGA Champions for 2022-202612: Top 30 in 2025 FedEx Cup points listHarry HallSungjae ImAndrew NovakNick Taylor14: First 5 PGA Tour members in FedEx Cup top 20 After Travelers Championship15: Top LIV Golfer in individual standings after Andalucia
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16: First 5 players on 2026 Federation Ranking List as of OWGR Week 21Kazuki HigaCasey JarvisKota KanekoTravis SmythScott Vincent18: US Amateur Champion 202520: Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion 202521: Latin America Amateur Champion 202622: Africa Amateur Champion 202623: British Amateur Champion 202624: European Amateur Champion 202625: Open Amateur Series winner 2026Open Qualifying SeriesAlistair Docherty (Argentina)Jeongwoo Ham (Singapore)Lucas Herbert (New Zealand)Michael Hollick (Australia)Cameron John (Singapore)Naoyuki Kataoka (Japan)Frederic Lacroix (South Africa)Francesco Laporta (South Africa)Tom McKibbin (Hong Kong)Jiho Yang (South Korea)Shaun Norris (Mizuno Open)Ryutaro Nagano (Mizuno Open)Ren Yonezawa (Mizuno Open)J.T. Poston (Memorial)Bud Cauley (RBC Canadian Open)Jackson Suber (RBC Canadian Open)Jesper Svensson (RBC Canadian Open)Eugenio Chacarra (Italian Open)TBD (Scottish Open)TBD (Scottish Open)TBD (Scottish Open)Final Qualifying
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Matthew BaldwinSam BairstowJosele BallesterTiger ChristensenM.J. DaffueAlejandro De Castro Piera (a)David Howard (a)Matthew JordanKazuma KoboriJack McDonaldJames NicholasMarcus PlunkettAntoine RoznerNevill Ruiter (a)Baard Bjoernevik SkogenTom SlomanMatthew SouthgateCaleb SurrattAusten TruslowPeter UihleinHighest ranked not exempt in OWGR Week 27Sam StevensNicolas EchavarriaPierceson CoodyRyo HisatsuneMichael BrennanDavid PuigTom KimEric ColeKeith MitchellMatt WallaceSami ValimakiMax HomaThomas DetryMax GreysermanSahith TheegalaPast Open champions not playing in 2026Zach JohnsonPhil MickelsonErnie ElsTiger WoodsTodd HamiltonBen CurtisPaul LawrieJustin LeonardJohn DalyOpen Championship withdrawals
Two players earned their place in the field but then had to withdraw. Jackson Koivun had a spot for Birkdale as the best amateur in the world for 2025, but he turned pro after the US Open and had to forfeit his entry.
LIV Golf player Elvis Smylie got a spot for his Race To Dubai ranking last year, but he had to withdraw from the Open due to a rib injury.
Koivun, JacksonSmylie, ElvisOpen Championship qualifying criteria – exemption categories1. The Open Champions aged 60 or under on 19 July 2026. (for all Champions up to and including 2023).2. The Open Champions aged 55 or under on 19 July 2026. (for all Champions from 2024).3. The Open Champions for 2015-2025.4. First 10 players and anyone tying for 10th place in The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush in 2025.5. The first 50 players on the OWGR for Week 21, 2026.6. First 25 players in the Final Race to Dubai Rankings for 2025.7. The BMW PGA Championship winners for 2023-2025.8. First 5 DP World Tour members and any DP World Tour members tying for 5th place, not otherwise exempt, in the top 20 of the Race to Dubai Rankings on completion of the 2026 BMW International Open.9. The Masters Tournament Champions for 2022-2026.10. The PGA Champions for 2022-2026.11. The US Open Champions for 2022-2026.12. First 30 players from the Final 2025 FedExCup Points List.13. The Players Champions for 2024-2026.14. First 5 PGA Tour members and any PGA Tour members tying for 5th place, not otherwise exempt, in the top 20 of the PGA Tour FedExCup Points List for 2026 on completion of the 2026 Travelers Championship.15. The first player and anyone tying for that place, not otherwise exempt, in the 2026 LIV Golf Individual Season Standings on completion of LIV Golf Andalucia.16. The first 5 players on the 2026 Federation Ranking List as of OWGR Week 21, 2026. Places 1-4 on this List may be determined before The Open closing date, as each season-ending Included Order of Merit is published.17. The Senior Open Champion for 2025.18. The US Amateur Champion for 2025.19. The Mark H McCormack Medal (Men’s World Amateur Golf Ranking winner for 2025.20. The Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion 2025.21. The Latin America Amateur Champion 2026.22. The Africa Amateur Champion 2026.23. The Amateur Champion for 2026.24. The European Amateur Champion for 2026.25. The Open Amateur Series winner 2026.