Royal Birkdale sees early exits for Justin Rose and Matt Fitzpatrick at The Open

By Mason Reed — 18 July 2026 — 4 min read

Major Contenders Miss the Cut

The second round of The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale concluded with several notable players, including Justin Rose and Matt Fitzpatrick, failing to make the cut. The tournament, known for its challenging conditions, saw many competitors depart early, highlighting the demanding nature of links golf.

Justin Rose, an Englishman who made his mark at Royal Birkdale in 1998 as an amateur, missed the cut by two strokes. His week ended prematurely, extending his wait for another major championship. Rose’s performance included eight bogeys on Thursday, which contributed to his early exit. Despite his recent strong showings, including a tie for third at the Masters, a tie for tenth at the PGA Championship, and a tie for eleventh at the U.S. Open, his Thursday round of 75 proved to be his undoing.

Matt Fitzpatrick, the world No. 3, also faced an early departure from the tournament. He shot a pair of 72s, ending his streak of 28 consecutive made cuts on Tour. Fitzpatrick attributed his struggles to a lack of favorable bounces on the firm links course, stating that he hit decent shots but received no luck, resulting in 4-over par on certain holes. His performance around the green was also a factor, as he ranked near the bottom of the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Green.

Other Prominent Players Depart

Beyond Rose and Fitzpatrick, a number of other well-known golfers also missed the cut at Royal Birkdale. This included Jordan Spieth, the 2017 Open champion at this venue, who shot a pair of 73s. Spieth’s struggles were compounded by a quadruple bogey at the 17th hole and a double bogey at the 14th, contributing to a difficult putting performance.

Cameron Smith, the 2022 Open champion, also missed the cut for the third consecutive year at this event. Despite a strong start on Friday with four birdies in his first eight holes, his momentum stalled, and a double bogey at the par-3 15th proved costly. Henrik Stenson, the 2016 Open champion, started strong with a 68 on Thursday but struggled on Friday with a 74, marking his fourth early exit in his last six Opens. His putting was identified as a key issue.

Other players who did not advance to the weekend included Billy Horschel, who missed his sixth cut in his last eight starts, and Harris English, who missed the cut in his last three starts, including back-to-back majors. Wyndham Clark, the U.S. Open champion, also missed the cut, his first since the PGA Championship, despite making five birdies and an eagle on Friday, which were offset by back-to-back double bogeys at holes 2 and 3.

Akshay Bhatia, who has had a career year, missed three of four cuts at majors this season, including this event with rounds of 71 and 73. Tom Kim, the recent winner of the Genesis Scottish Open, also missed the cut, his first since the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in late April. Viktor Hovland, despite a win at the Travelers Championship, missed his third straight major cut this season, struggling with his tee shots and around the green play. Jason Day and Joaquin Niemann also failed to make the cut, with Day struggling with putting and Niemann with his approach game.

Looking Ahead for Remaining Contenders

While many favorites departed, some players managed to secure their spots for the weekend. Max Homa, who was not initially in the field until finishing second at the John Deere Classic, made the cut by eagling the par-5 17th and sinking a 5-foot par putt at the final hole to finish even. Jose Luis Basteller from Spain also made the cut with a 28-foot eagle at the 17th and a close approach at the 18th. Min Woo Lee of Australia also advanced after sinking a 22-foot putt at the last hole.

Hideki Matsuyama, who shot a 67 to improve to 1-under, now holds the longest active streak on Tour with 28 consecutive made cuts. Tommy Fleetwood, an English player, shot a 67 to move to 4 under, keeping the hopes of a hometown winner alive. Sam Burns, despite a past record at this event, recorded a round of 62. Francesco Molinari, the 2018 Open champion, is also in contention at 4 under and tied for sixth. The cut was made at 1-over 141, with seventy-nine golfers advancing to the weekend.

Source: pgatour.com

Mason Reed

Sports reporter covering football, basketball and international competitions.