'Where Have All The Underdog Heroes Gone?' - Has Open Final Qualifying Lost Its Romance?
Gone seem to be the days of strong amateurs or modest pros fulfilling their dreams and qualifying for a Major, but is that actually a problem?...
Inside The Ropes' is the chance for Golf Monthly's expert team to share its honest thoughts on the biggest subjects in the game. This time, it's all about The Open Championship Final Qualifying.
The latest edition of Open Championship Final Qualifying takes place on Tuesday, with four sites around the British Isles offering five spots apiece into the year's final men's Major.
Royal Birkdale is the ultimate goal for all of those taking part in the 36-hole battles at Burnham & Berrow, West Lancs, Dundonald and Royal Cinque Ports, and it is set to be one of the toughest Final Qualifying events in recent memory - such is the calibre of player teeing it up.
Although the likes of Dustin Johnson and David Puig are among a handful of big names to withdraw in the build-up, Major winners Sergio Garcia and Danny Willett remain in the hunt alongside some of the very best amateurs on the planet.
Meanwhile, a host of other elite professional golfers from the biggest tours in the world are all preparing to have a crack at securing a spot in The Open next month.
It's a far cry from decades prior when, among the 60 spots available at Final Qualifying, some distinguished amateurs made it through and achieved their dreams simply by earning a tee time.
In the years since, The R&A moved to heavily reduce the number of available places at The Open via Final Qualifying down to 12 - three at four sites. More recently, it then increased the number to five at each of the four sites, offering a total of 20 Open tee times out.
Several other changes to the world of pro golf have ultimately created a situation where talented amateurs are either not bothering to try and qualify or are simply being beaten to the punch by world-class professionals who can't secure exemptions elsewhere.
While The Open is still an open championship to a point, many argue the romance of the most historic golf tournament in the world has been lost somewhat with Major winners and top tour pros vacuuming up the Major spots from amateurs who would offer up a far more romantic tale of hope to the rest of us.
But is this actually a problem or not? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below. In the meantime, three of our tour experts have their say.
MC: For me, I actually find Final Qualifying to be one of my favorite events of the year as it brings together a mix of recognized, established stars and those with not as much of a reputation.
Okay, you can argue that the underdog stories of club professionals qualifying for The Open Championship are gone, but Final Qualifying still yields some extraordinary storylines, as shown by Richard Teder last year, who holed out from 80-yards to claim the final spot.
The caliber of player featuring also continues to increase, as shown by Dustin Johnson at this year's edition, before he withdrew.
Richard Teder strikes a putt during Open Final Qualifying in 2025
MC: Again, many may search for the underdog angle, but the big names yield more interest in my eyes and, if I were a player, I'd want to be in the field competing against them to compare and see how my game stands up.
Has Final Qualifying lost the romance? Overall, I'd say no. Given the rise of the YouTube golfer, we have more access than ever into Regional and Final Qualifying, which I think is a good thing, as it's one of the only times when money isn't a factor.
No-one talks about how much money said player is making for qualifying, instead they're talking about how they've earned a spot in golf's oldest Major. Long may that, and Final Qualifying, continue!
JL: I would certainly argue there is an element of Open Final Qualifying having lost some of its romance, its allure, its magic. We had Estonian amateur Richard Teder last year, but stories involving the plucky underdogs just aren't as common as they used to be.
There was that period where hardly anyone broke through in OFQ because there were so few spots, but thankfully the number of opportunities has increased again now.
In an ideal world, I'd love to see a fifth site added for Final Qualifying - somewhere on the island of Ireland perhaps - to allow a great chance for even just one more strong amateur or toiling pro to break through.
The R&A shouldn't forget - and I'm sure it doesn't - that this great championship was founded on the success of amateur players and I'd love it to pay homage to that with a few more spots for those who are unpaid.
JL: An additional site would also hopefully lead to a handful more tour pros from second or third tiers making it through, providing them with a potential chance to springboard their career.
These days, Final Qualifying appears too saturated with world-class professionals who are good but don't provide much in terms of an inspiring story. I do wonder where all the under-achieving heroes have gone in Open qualifying?
There's still plenty who possess enough quality to win it, so I'd love to see a few more regular Joes taking their opportunity to play in a Major and consequently being able to tell their grandchildren about the time they played in the greatest Championship of them all...
BP: I don't really feel Open Final Qualifying has lots its magic. At every Major, I want to see the best possible field, so if that means there are fewer of your average Joe amateurs qualifying and instead you're getting players from maybe the PGA Tour, DP World Tour or LIV who might only have an outside chance, but nonetheless have a chance of potentially contending or even winning The Open Championship, I would rather see that.
I think the strength of field is important in terms of maintaining the integrity of a Major championship - especially The Open.
It doesn't really affect my enjoyment of a championship either way. Everybody likes the Cinderella story, obviously, but you can still get that from some of the lesser-known tour players or maybe more senior tour players who come in and perform really well - someone like Padraig Harrington or Darren Clarke.
I can understand where people are coming from when they say the magic of Open Championship Final Qualifying is disappearing a little bit, but I'm not too bothered either way, if I'm honest.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments box below whether you feel The Open Final Qualifying has lost some of its romance or whether you think it's fine as it is.