2024 Open Championship Qualifiers: Final List of LIV Golf Icons Attempting Their Last Chance at Royal Troon

OWGR and LIV Golf. These two rarely cross paths. And when they do, it’s at the major championships. The denial of points by the OWGR system has truly caused many of the Saudi-backed league golfers to face difficulties in appearing at the championships. But not to worry, for there is still a chance for them. Enter the Open Championship qualifiers!

The final major of the season is hardly a month away at Royal Troon. And many will be teeing it up at the 152nd Open Championship, which will tee off on July 18. Case in point: Many LIV Golf Pros will be aiming for a last-ditch effort to get into the field at the upcoming major through the 36-hole qualifiers that will take place at four different places on July 2, as per LIVRandONIONS.

A final effort for Sergio Garcia at the Open Championship qualifiers in West Lancashire

1. Sergio Garcia: The Spaniard’s five-year exemption from winning the 2017 Masters ran out in 2022. Moreover, being with LIV Golf has made him unable to rake in points on the OWGR, causing the golfer to attempt an alternate avenue. His fans would hope he gets in, unlike back in 2023, when he missed out by one stroke, finishing sixth in the Final Qualifying.

2. Sam Horsfield: He was the 12th reserve back in 2022 and was call-up following Zach Johnson’s WD. But being part of the PIF-funded circuit has forced him to turn to the qualifiers at West Lancashire all the while aiming for his 3rd start at the major.

3. Carlos Ortiz: A win at LIV Golf Houston did not grab him a spot at Pinehurst No. 2, neither did it do so at the Royal Troon. That’s not all. Ortiz missing the U.S. Open Final Qualifying by doubling the last holes added to the woes of not being able to appear in the major. But will he redeem himself this time around? That is the question!

4. Marc Leishman: The golfer has finished inside the top 10 a total of three times at the major since his first start in 2010. He would surely be looking to resume his stint at the Open Championship with his 12th appearance at Royal Troon.

Anirban Lahiri and Co. in Burnham & Berrow

5. Anirban Lahiri: The Indian golfer hasn’t played at the Open Championship for a while now. He appeared last at the 2018 edition of the major all the while carding figures 8-over par owing to his score of 76-74 over the two days. The athlete will want to resume his major appearance by fighting for a spot through the Somerset qualifiers.

6. Abraham Ancer: The LIV Golf Pro got into the field at Hoylake in 2023 by being part of the top 50 in the OWGR. However, a current rank of No. 346 has forced him to turn to the qualifiers at Burnham & Berrow to clinch his 6th appearance at the Open Championship.

7. Laurie Canter: He missed the cut in 2010, finished T37 in 2017, and carded a T79 and T17 in 202 and 2023 respectively. Will it be different this time around? The Englishman’s fans can only wait and watch as the 34-year-old golfer aims to claim his fifth start at the event.

McDowell & Co. at Royal Cinque Ports

8. Sebastian Munoz: The Columbian professional has a total of three starts at the Open Championship, not to mention he missed the cut at two of them back in 2017 and 2021. Meanwhile, his personal best came at the 2022 edition of the major when he finished a 3-under par 285. Now, two years later, he will expect himself to deliver at the 36-hole qualifiers to get into the field.

9. Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra: The golfer will be looking to tee off his first-ever Open Championship at Royal Troon. In order to do that, he will need to clinch a spot at the qualifiers being held at Royal Cinque Ports, alongside McDowell.

10. Graeme McDowell: The 44-year-old has a whopping 14 starts at the Open Championship, which is being held at Royal Troon this year. 5 of the 14 starts, he was able to do so, by exemption through his 2010 U.S. Open victory at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Meanwhile, his best finish at the Open came in 2012 at T5, a stark contrast as opposed to his last finish in 2019, at T57.

A lone Peter Uihlein at Dundonald Links

11. Peter Uihlein: The LIV Golf pro will be teeing it up alongside Rafa Cabrera Bello and Stephen Gallacher at Dundonald Links. He will aim to make his 5th start at the Open Championship by clinching one of the 16 spots that are set aside for the qualifiers.

Winning a major is any golfer’s dream. And it is no different in the case of the golfers from the PIF-funded circuit as well. But they will have to do so by taking an extra step, the Open Qualifiers, like many other athletes. The fans will surely want many to make the field at the major championship.