Up to 40 notable players missed out on America’s national championship after entering Final Qualifying, but we’ve whittled the Long Island absentee list to a handful of big names.
9 big names missing the US Open
Starting with the highest-ranked player not teeing up at the 126th edition of golf’s second oldest major…
Marco Penge
World No. 47 Penge has had a disrupted start to life on the PGA Tour, and after missing the cut at the PGA Championship decided to take some time away to focus on the health issues which started with a viral infection at last year’s DP World Tour Championship. He has not recovered in time for Shinnecock and opted to withdraw.
“Unfortunately, myself and my team have decided that I am going to have to WD from the US Open which I’m gutted about,” Penge explained. “My health is the number one priority for now, and until I get to the bottom of the issues I wont be competing. The plan is to return fully fit.”
Tony Finau
Finau hadn’t missed a major since the 2017 Open at Royal Birkdale until this year’s Masters. Now he’s missing his third major after 33 straight starts. At his Final Qualifying site, he missed an alternate playoff by one shot.
Max Homa
Homa played in five consecutive US Opens, but is now set to miss a second in a row. The six-time PGA Tour winner bogeyed the first extra hole in an 8-for-3 playoff in Canada.
Sergio Garcia
This could be the first time in his long professional career that Garcia has missed three of the four majors. The 2017 Masters champion looked just about done with golf during his blow-up at Augusta National this year, but has since impressed at LIV Golf – including a fourth-place finish at his favorite course, Valderrama. He missed out on this event at FInal Qualifying in Dallas.
Phil Mickelson
Mickelson has still played in only one event this season as he continues to navigate an undisclosed family health matter. This is famously the tournament Mickelson could never win – and he infamously putted a moving ball the last time the US Open was held at Shinnecock Hills.
Tiger Woods
The winner in 2000, 2002 and 2008 will miss another US Open as he completes another major calendar without featuring in a single one. Woods is taking an extended break from golf after his car accident and arrest in March.
Rasmus Hojgaard
The younger Hojgaard twin has taken a break from the game to deal with an injury problem and did not enter Final Qualifying. He is expected to be back in time for the Genesis Scottish Open in July.
Eugenio Chacarra
It’s surely a matter of time before the Spaniard becomes a regular fixture in the big four. Chacarra walked out of a US Open playoff in Final Qualifying – where he was vying for the last alternate spot – because he had to flight to catch to a DP World Tour event. A week later, he won. As he later told TG, he’s desperate to contend in majors and his win at the KLM Open has accelerated his ambition.
Thomas Detry
At 65th, is one of the highest-ranked players in the OWGR not in the US Open field, Detry has agonizingly missed out on a US Open spot twice. First via a qualification spot offered to LIV Golf – then being edged out in a Final Qualifying playoff at Walton Heath. It clearly wasn’t meant to be.