7 Big Names Missing The 2026 Open

Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Tony Finau and Dustin Johnson holding their finishes with a yellow 154th Open flag centered — (Image credit: Getty Images)

It's time for the 154th Open as the season's final Major takes place at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England.

Defending champion and World No.1 Scottie Scheffler headlines the field alongside almost all of the world's best players, who are set to battle it out over the links for four days to decide the 2026 Champion Golfer of the Year.

Jordan Spieth won last time the Southport links hosted in 2017, while 2008 Birkdale champion Padraig Harrington is also in the 156-man field made up of the world's top 50 and dozens of qualifiers and leading amateurs.

Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods remains on the sidelines following his car crash in late March.

The 15-time Major winner, who won The Open in 2000, 2005 and 2006, went to Switzerland for rehab and is back Stateside now, but either his body or golf game is not quite ready to compete in such a strong field.

It means Woods misses all four Majors in a calendar year for the second consecutive season and fifth time in his career. We hope to see him back at St Andrews next July.

Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson also misses an entire Major season. The last time that happened? 1989.

Lefty has been dealing with a personal family health issue this year, which has seen him play just one tournament at LIV Golf South Africa.

There was also a big Skratch report recently detailing some controversies in his life, so it is no surprise not to see the 2013 champion in England this week.

Mickelson is exempt into The Open until the age of 60, meaning he is still qualified for the next four editions.

Dustin Johnson

Dustin Johnson has played in the last 37 consecutive Majors, but that run has ended after he withdrew from Final Qualifying last month.

The former World No.1 and two-time Major champion has played in every Open since 2009 and has five top-10s including a T2 in 2011.

He is currently ranked 211th in the world and was unable to qualify this year after his exemption from winning the 2020 Masters expired.

Tony Finau

Tony Finau misses his first Open since 2015 after falling out of the world's top 100.

It also means the six-time PGA Tour winner has missed an entire season of Majors, something he hasn't done since 2014.

The Utah man has two top-10s at The Open, with a best finish of 3rd in 2019.

Sergio Garcia

Garcia came up short in Final Qualifying at West Lancs, where he shot one-under-par for 36 holes to leave him seven adrift of the total needed.

It means he misses his third Open in the last four years and only plays in one Major this year - The Masters.

The Ryder Cup record points scorer so nearly became an Open Champion in 2007 at Carnoustie, where he lipped out on the 72nd green before losing to Padraig Harrington in a playoff. He also finished runner-up to Rory McIlroy in 2014.

Elvis Smylie

Talented Australian Elvis Smylie joined LIV Golf at the start of the year and won in his debut tournament in Riyadh.

He qualified for the 154th Open via the 2025 Race to Dubai rankings but withdrew due to injury.

Smylie revealed in a statement that a rib injury will force an "extended break" from the game. We wish him a speedy recovery.

Jackson Koivun

Another talented up-and-comer who qualified for The Open is Jackson Koivun, the former World No.1 amateur who turned pro last month after a record-breaking college career at Auburn.

However, by turning pro Koivun forfeited his Open spot, which he had earned by winning the Mark McCormack medal as the year's leading amateur.

Koivun recently finished as joint-low amateur at the US Open in his final start before joining the paid ranks. We expect to see him play in many Majors over the coming years.

Other notables missing the 2026 Open

(World ranking)

Matti Schmid (75th) - playing in Last Chance Qualifier
Steven Fisk (79th)
Aldrich Potgieter (83rd) - playing in Last Chance Qualifier
Mac Meissner (84th)
Taylor Pendrith (87th)
Lucas Glover (89th)
Patrick Rodgers (92nd)
Andrew Putnam (93rd)
Christiaan Bezuidenhout (96th)
Stephan Jaeger (98th)
Ricky Castillo (99th)
Blades Brown (100th)

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He covered the 2022 and 2025 Masters from Augusta National and was there by the 18th green to watch Rory McIlroy complete the career grand slam. He has also covered five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews.