July 17, 2026, 6:47 p.m. ET
We’re halfway through the 2026 Open Championship, and there has been no shortage of surprises.
As we enter Round 3 on Saturday, we have a leader that no one saw coming. Australian golfer Lucas Herbert hasn’t turned in a top-15 major finish since 2022 or even made the cut at one since 2024, but he stands alone in first place after an electrifying 8-under second round on Friday.
Below him on the leaderboard are some more familiar faces, including Cameron Young, Sam Burns and Bryson DeChambeau, who made his first major cut of the year but dropped out of second place after taking a two-stroke penalty on Friday.
However, not every big name will continue into the weekend. Here are the 10 most surprising golfers who did not make the cut at Royal Birkdale.
Aaron Rai (+2)
Make Cut Odds: -250
Missed Cut Odds: +200
Rai won his first major earlier this year at the PGA Championship, but playing in his home nation of England, he didn’t have the same luck. He turned in a pair of 1-over rounds that featured three back-nine bogeys, and he narrowly missed the cut.
Harris English (+2)
Make Cut Odds: -200
Missed Cut Odds: +160
The veteran finished second at The Open last year, but he has now missed back-to-back major cuts. English started rough with a 3-over performance on Thursday, and a much better 69 on Day 2 wasn’t quite good enough to finish on the right side of the cut line.
Joaquin Niemann (+4)
Make Cut Odds: -250
Missed Cut Odds: +200
Looking to build off his career-best major finish at the U.S. Open, Niemann dug himself a hole earlier with a disastrous 6-over opening round performance in which he had four bogeys and a double bogey. He turned in an impressive 2-under Friday round that featured three birdies, but it couldn’t undo the damage.
Justin Rose (+3)
Make Cut Odds: -285
Missed Cut Odds: +220
Rose’s search for his first Open Championship will have to wait another year as the 45-year-old was eliminated at Royal Birkdale. Like Niemann, he put himself in a tough spot with a 75 on Thursday, and his 68 on Friday still left him two strokes behind the cut line.
Matt Fitzpatrick (+4)
Make Cut Odds: -600
Missed Cut Odds: +400
By far the most surprising cut on Friday from an odds perspective, Fitzpatrick was a favorite this week after finishing tied for fourth last week, but he turned in a pair of mediocre showings. After finishing 2-over on both Thursday and Friday, Fitzpatrick won’t continue into the weekend.
Maverick McNealy (+3)
Make Cut Odds: -190
Missed Cut Odds: +150
After turning in solid performances in the first three majors of the year, McNealy left himself in a precarious position as he finished the first round at 1-over. He had a shot to make the cut at a fourth major this year, but a 2-over Day 2 wasn’t good enough.
Nicolai Højgaard (+2)
Make Cut Odds: -200
Missed Cut Odds: +160
Both Højgaard and his brother, Rasmus, missed the cut at The Open this week. Nicolai had a shot on Friday, turning in an even-par round, but it wasn’t quite enough after he shot 2-over on Thursday.
Tom Kim (+3)
Make Cut Odds: -285
Missed Cut Odds: +220
The 24-year-old’s best major finish came in the 2023 Open, and he had a solid shot to make the cut after an even first round. He fell apart a bit on Friday, though, shooting 3-over as he was eliminated from the field.
Viktor Hovland (+4)
Make Cut Odds: -325
Missed Cut Odds: +250
Hovland’s rough streak in majors after finishing tied for 18th at the Masters continues, and he missed his third consecutive major cut with a Friday collapse. After shooting 70 on Thursday, he had six bogeys — including a double bogey — during a 4-over second round.
Wyndham Clark
Make Cut Odds: -285
Missed Cut Odds: +220
Clark had a disappointing follow-up to his second U.S. Open title last month. He put himself in an early hole with a 73 on Thursday, and he buried himself even further with a rough front nine on Friday in which he had a pair of double bogeys. Two birdies and an eagle on the final hole salvaged an even round, but he still fell short of the cut line.