The Victorian finally sealed a place in The Open after narrowly missing out on opportunities at the Australian Open, the New Zealand Open and the International Series Macau earlier this season.
Westwood, who has just one top-10 finish on the LIV Tour in 2025, shot rounds of 70 and 67, a seven-under total that was the lowest of anyone in the 68-player field.
It’s not the best look, but it’s also not uncommon in these kind of qualifying events; at last month’s US Open, more than a dozen tour pros failed to finish all 36 holes.
Two years after he became an ordained monk, Sadom Kaewkanjana is assured of returning to the Open Championship after securing a spot at Royal Portrush via his victory at the Asian Tour’s Kolon Korea Open on Sunday.
Five-time major champ Rory McIlroy thinks it might be even more difficult for Jordan Spieth to join the Grand Slam club. And McIlroy’s reasoning makes perfect sense. Â
Golf can be a cruel and complex game, particularly at the elite level. Sergio Garcia, after 26 years as a pro, was reminded horribly when he came within three feet of securing a place in the Open Championship at the Asian Tour’s International Series Macau in China.
The Macau tournament is part of the R&A’s Open Qualifying Series, giving out exemptions into this summer’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush to the top three finishers who haven’t already qualified. Seventeen LIV golfers competing have yet to earn a spot in the Open.
In the days after his tie for seventh in last week’s Open Championship at Troon, and before he arrived in the Midlands of England for LIV Golf’s UK tournament this week, two-time major winner Jon Rahm thought long and hard about what would give him a better chance to win an Open played on a Read more…
Woods would be the last person to make excuses for his poor play following rounds of 79 and 77 at Royal Troon, but we’ll go ahead and make one for him after seeing this.
At The Open, the task is navigating whatever happens to be in front of you that week, that day, that hour. It’s rarely fair, and never easy. They each reflect the culture they exist within, and the types of champions they produce.
To see Xander and Stefan Schauffele embrace – Xander holding on tight, Stefan’s sunglasses unable to conceal the tears that flowed from behind – was a reminder of the spell this beautifully dumb game has on so many of us.
Australian Golf Digest
