What a stunner out of Royal Birkdale, because two of the biggest names in golf, Matt Fitzpatrick and Wyndham Clark, are heading home early from the 2026 Open Championship. The cut line settled at 1 over, and these guys, who were supposed to be battling it out for the Claret Jug, just didn’t get it done. Lucas Herbert is surprisingly sitting at the top, but you’ve still got major players like Cameron Young, Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, and Tommy Fleetwood lurking in the top 10. But for Fitzpatrick and Clark, their Open is over.
Fitzpatrick’s Shocking Exit Leaves Fans Absolutely Floored
Matt Fitzpatrick came into this week as one of the four leading favorites in the sportsbooks. Think about that: one of the *top four guys* everyone expected to contend. He’s had an unbelievable season, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour already, and he was even in contention just last week at the Scottish Open. Everyone thought this was his time, especially with his game being perfectly suited for links courses, and honestly, he’s been in the best form of his career.
But man, it just never clicked in Southport, England. Fitzpatrick stumbled hard, posting a 72 in the first round and then backing that up with another 72 on Friday. That put him at 4 over for the tournament, a full three shots off the cut line. This was the guy who was supposed to be the one to finally snap England’s 34-year drought at The Open. Not even making it to the weekend is a total shock and a seriously disappointing end to his major season. Despite having what’s been his best year, he failed to finish in the top 10 at a major. That’s a brutal pill to swallow.
Wyndham Clark’s Day Crushed by a Disastrous Front Nine
Wyndham Clark was on an absolutely excellent run of form coming into this tournament. The guy just won his second U.S. Open title last month, a *second one*, and he had a strong week at the Scottish Open as a tune-up for The Open. He started Friday at 3 over, needing a big day to make the cut. But what unfolded on his front nine was nothing short of a disaster.
We’re talking two double bogeys and three bogeys. Yeah, you read that right. While he did manage to rack up five birdies and even an eagle later in the round, that horrific start just washed everything out. It’s wild to think he’s got this staggering major championship record of only three top 10 finishes in his career, but two of those resulted in wins. That record, including those two big wins, remains intact heading into 2027, but he won’t be adding to it this weekend. It was tough out there for a lot of guys, with Aaron Rai (+2), Harris English (+2), Tom Kim (+3), Justin Rose (+3), Joaquin Niemann (+4), Akshay Bhatia (+4), Jason Day (+4), and even Jordan Spieth (+10) also missing the cut.
So, while the leaderboard is stacked with plenty of talent, it’s gonna feel different without two of the pre-tournament favorites in the mix. The chase for the Claret Jug continues Saturday, but for Fitzpatrick and Clark, it’s an early flight home.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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