While Dustin Johnson has snapped a 17-year Open streak<\/a> by withdrawing from his own qualifier at Dundonald Links for, presumably, logistical reasons, others have different explanations why the 36-hole qualifier \u2013 also played at West Lancs, Royal Cinque Ports and Burnham & Berrow \u2013 is an unpreferred route into Birkdale.<\/p>\n Among those to forego their chance at teeing it up in Southport next month is Ugo Coussaud. The 33-year-old Frenchman made his major debut at the US Open this month after squeezing through a sectional qualifier at Walton Heath, but won\u2019t be heading to one of the four Open Final Qualifying venues this week.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish I would play The Open, honestly, because for me it\u2019s the best major,\u201d Coussard tells TG. \u201cBut, f***, in those conditions, man, I don\u2019t think I would play Final Qualifying this year. They put that qualifying day in the middle of the week [of a] DP World Tour [event], so it\u2019s not easy for us to schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n Indeed, Open Final Qualifying day \u2013 June 30 \u2013 is sandwiched on the Tuesday between the Italian Open and the BMW International Open in Munich. For many, it is a mad dash that will jeopardize tournament chances, albeit for a golden shot at competing in The Open. The resurgent former Ryder Cup player Chris Wood<\/a> has told TG he will be flying in and out from his back-to-back HotelPlanner Tour events in France to tee it up at Burnham & Burrow and attempt to play in his first Open since 2019.<\/p>\n It is not just the potential travel nightmare that puts off Coussaud, however. It\u2019s the complexion of the qualifying day itself.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not very fair,\u201d he says. \u201cWe play with amateurs, local pros. I played two years ago, honestly. I thought it was rubbish. I think The Open want it that way. I played with a local pro. The guy told me straight away, \u2018This is my Open today.\u2019 So you\u2019re supposed to play 36 with that guy? Whatever he shoots, he\u2019s going to be there for 36. So it\u2019s hard to be properly competitive if you feel like the guy is so excited.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all need to be in a bubble to be able to play a good round, especially when you want to qualify. There are not many spots. I think The Open makes it that way. They want stories and they already have the best players. I don\u2019t know what their politics are, but I don\u2019t think it\u2019s fair. So I\u2019m not a huge fan of that one.\u201d<\/p>\n He continued: \u201cAt least at Walton Heath, It\u2019s a two-ball. You play a round of golf in three hours 15 with a professional. There are only good players over there. If they play s***, they leave.<\/p>\n \u201cSome players love playing on links\u00a0because you only play links for the qualifier.\u00a0Those are already very tricky courses. You need to know them very well.\u00a0You come from Italy,\u00a0which is normally the complete opposite of links.\u00a0And then you go back to Munich which is completely opposite. It\u2019s a very hard adapting day\u00a0and you need to be very, very, lucky on the draw. They do draws as well with stars.\u00a0Sometimes, you play with LIV guys or winners or you end up with playing with a local pro and it\u2019s not fair.\u00a0I don\u2019t feel it\u2019s very good. It\u2019s already hard enough, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Ugo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ugo-caussaud.jpg\")
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