Sergio Garcia will miss the British Open for the third time in four years after the former Masters champion failed to secure one of the 20 available spots during final 36-hole qualifying on Wednesday, July 1, 2026 (PH time).
Matthew Baldwin Qualifies at Home Course
Matthew Baldwin earned a place in the year's final major and will compete at his home course, Royal Birkdale, according to the Associated Press. Baldwin was one of five players to qualify at Dundonald Links in western Scotland, alongside medalist Jake McDonald, amateurs David Howard and Nevill Ruiter, and Marcus Plunkett, a graduate of West Point who served five years in the US Army.
“I get emotional just thinking about it. It will be incredible,” Baldwin said. “Fortunately I have done it a couple of times before in the northwest at Hoylake and at Lytham so it will be a dream come true to do it in front of my family. It will be amazing.”
British Open Details and Other Qualifiers
The British Open will be held from July 16 to 19 at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England. Three Americans — Peter Uihlein, Caleb Surratt and James Nicholas — qualified for both of golf's oldest major championships after also advancing through the US Open final qualifying earlier this year.
Uihlein, the 2010 US Amateur champion, advanced from Royal Cinque Ports along with medalist Baard Bjoernevik Skogen, M.J. Daffue, Matthew Southgate and Antoine Rozner. Nicholas and Surratt secured their places at Burnham & Berrow, joining Tom Sloman, Austen Truslow and amateur Alejandro de Castro Piera.
At West Lancashire, Sam Bairstow led the five qualifiers, with Kazuma Kobori, Josele Ballester, Tiger Christensen and Matthew Jordan also advancing. Jordan claimed the final qualifying spot after a playoff.
Notable Failures to Qualify
Among those who failed to qualify were LIV Golf players Thomas Detry and Anirban Lahiri, as well as Thriston Lawrence of South Africa, who finished fourth at the 2024 British Open at Royal Troon. Also missing out were 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett and Luke Poulter, the son of former Ryder Cup standout Ian Poulter.
