The 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale will proceed without several high-profile golfers, headlined by three-time champion Tiger Woods and former winner Phil Mickelson. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler aims to become the first back-to-back winner in nearly two decades after his 2025 victory at Portrush.
Key Absences: Woods, Mickelson, and Johnson
Tiger Woods, 50, remains sidelined after a car crash in late March. He attended rehab following the Florida incident and is recovering but has not played any competitive golf since. Phil Mickelson, the 2013 Open champion at Muirfield, has played only one LIV Golf event in 2026, citing family health issues he has kept private.
Dustin Johnson, world No. 211, failed to qualify for the tournament after his exemption from the 2020 Masters expired. He withdrew from Final Qualifying last month. Johnson has never won The Open but finished tied for second in 2011, three strokes behind Darren Clarke.
Other Notable Missing Players
Sergio Garcia fell seven shots short of the score needed in Final Qualifying. Tony Finau slipped out of the world's top 100 and will miss all four majors in a calendar year for the first time since 2014. Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open champion, withdrew due to a recurring back injury, missing the tournament for the first time since 2008. Zach Johnson, the 2015 champion at St. Andrews, cited a busy schedule for his absence but will play the Senior Open next week.
English favourite Danny Willett and former amateur standout Will Zalatoris each failed to qualify. Zalatoris has missed the cut in his last four major appearances and has not qualified for a tournament since the 2025 PGA Championship. Australia's Elvis Smylie is out with a rib injury, and former No. 1 amateur Jackson Koivun gave up his exemption after turning professional last month.
Impact on the Field
Despite these absences, the field remains strong with Rory McIlroy, who won The Open at Royal Liverpool in 2014 and claimed the Masters in April 2026, among the top contenders. Scheffler will face stiff competition as he seeks to defend his title on Merseyside, where Tiger Woods won his third Open in 2006.
