Rarely do all the big names and favourites make it through the weekend at The Open – there are always high profile casualties that fall at the first hurdle and go home early.
This week was no different. Some, like former World No.1, Justin Thomas, who’s been out of sorts lately, were half expected. Others, including another former World No.1, Dustin Johnson, came as more of a surprise.
Here are the big name players to have missed the cut at the 151st Open Championship:
Dustin Johnson
The two-time Major champion and former World No.1 may no longer be at the peak of his powers, but ‘DJ’ only won the Masters three years ago, and he’s had his moments at The Open, most notably in 2011 when he finished runner-up.
This year, the 24-time PGA Tour winner never recovered from an opening round of 74. After a birdieless front nine on Friday, he turned in 38, and the bogeys kept on piling up.
It all added up to a disappointing 81. It's now back to LIV for the 39-year-old.
Justin Thomas
Thomas’ trip to the UK hasn’t been a total waste – he got to spend some quality time with family and friends at Wimbledon, plus he enjoyed his visit to Scotland where he played North Berwick.
The former World No.1 and two-time Major winner cuts a dejected figure at the moment, which is no great surprise given his record in the ‘big ones’ this year: missed cuts at the Masters and the US Open, and a tied 65th at the PGA Championship.
At Royal Liverpool, he finished with a quadruple bogey nine on Thursday evening after hitting his drive out of bounds and then taking two greenside bunker shots. It was his second Major round in the 80s this year after an 81 in round two of the US Open.
He did at least show some of his better stuff on Friday in posting a level-round 71 – and he's not about to press the panic button.
After his round he told reporters that he's still “hitting a lot of good shots” and just needs to eradicate “bonehead mistakes”.
Phil Mickelson
'Lefty’ looked a little tired this week – there wasn’t the usual skip in his step and the determination in his eyes that we’ve become accustomed to during the course of his glittering career.
In truth, the form guide pointed to another missed cut in golf’s oldest Major – we’ve not seen Mickelson battle it out for the Claret Jug on the weekend since 2018.
The damage was done on Thursday for the 53-year-old American, with an ugly 77 spoiling any remote chances he had of creating another fairy tale story. The score was three better on Friday, but he won't take much comfort in that.
Collin Morikawa
The Californian won the 2020 PGA Championship on his debut , before accomplishing the exact same feat at the 149th Open Championship at Royal St George’s.
This year, however, and despite scrapping to card an opening round of 73 – which was certainly no disaster – he had an Open to forget.
In the second round on Friday, Morikawa, who also missed the cut at St Andrews last year, gave himself too much to do after bogeys at the first two holes.
A birdie at the last saw him post back-to-back 73s, and he missed the cut by a single shot.
Justin Rose
Justin Rose arrived at Hoylake in good spirits, collecting the Association Of Golf Writers' Special Recognition Award on Tuesday evening alongside his wife, Kate, for their work in establishing the Rose Ladies Series.
Sadly, his hopes of taking home the Claret Jug evaporated at Royal Liverpool pretty early on. On Thursday, he was three over through five holes; he dropped a further shot on the 10th and eventually carded a 74.
On Friday, he started slowly again with bogeys at three of the first four holes, and he went on to register a second 74 for a six-over total.
Tony Finau
Tony Finau can boast top-five finishes in all four Majors, and is widely considered as one of the best players not to have claimed one of the game’s most coveted titles.
The popular American finished third at The Open in 2019 at Royal Portrush, and was certainly not out of touch after an opening round of 73.
However, he managed only one birdie and racked up five bogeys on Friday, which brought his quest for a first Major title to a premature end.
Talor Gooch
Leader of the LIV Golf League standings heading into this week, the American had every right to feel confident of putting in a decent display at Hoylake, in what was his third Open Championship appearance.
However, the 31-year-old's race was run long before racking up a double on 'Little Eye' on Friday, and he finished the tournament on seven-over-par.
Shane Lowry
A decent showing at the Scottish Open suggested that the Irishman might be coming into good form, and Thursday’s opening round of 72 (one over) left him in handily placed.
Round two wasn’t very Lowry-like, however, with the hero from Royal Portrush in 2019 failing to make a single birdie and carding a 77 to end at seven-over.
