McDowell among 14 LIV Golf players facing final qualifying for The Open Championship

CARROLLTON, Texas – As LIV Golf Dallas presented by Aramco wrapped up on Sunday, 14 LIV Golf players are preparing for an immediate transatlantic dash to compete in The Open Championship Final Qualifying on Tuesday.

Held across four UK venues – Burnham & Berrow, Royal Cinque Ports and West Lancashire in England, and Dundonald Links in Scotland — the 36-hole marathon offers at least 20 spots (a minimum of five per site) for the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush. It’s the last chance for LIV Golf players to qualify for golf’s oldest major.

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One of those players is Smash GC’s Graeme McDowell , to whom the Open Championship at Royal Portrush holds significant meaning. The Northern Irishman and 2010 U.S. Open champion is driven to compete at his home course. He competed at the International Series Macau in March in hopes of nabbing one of three available spots that eventually went to fellow LIV Golf players Carlos Ortiz, Patrick Reed and Jason Kokrak.

“With The Open going back to Royal Portrush this year, it's been a big focus,” McDowell said. “I went to Macau chasing a few of those spots but didn't get it done there. I'll play Dallas and fly straight to London, and I'll go down to the qualifier. I'm going to Royal Cinque Ports on Tuesday right after Dallas. Maybe not the best prep in the world coming from Dallas to London, but I'll be pretty fired up.”

McDowell, 45, played in the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush in 2019, and acknowledged how special the tournament is to him.

"It was a dream come true to be there in '19,” he said. “I qualified via the RBC Canadian Open in '19 to get into The Open. Obviously, I'll go to Cinque Ports, and it will be a big day for me. I'm excited. It will certainly be bittersweet to not be there, but I'll definitely be giving it my full attention and will be trying hard. It would be amazing.

“I mean, with everything that Rory's (McIlroy) done this year, with Shane (Lowry) being the defending champion, to go back to Portrush, it's going to be a special week. It goes without saying that I'd love to be a part of it.”

At Burnham & Berrow in Somerset, Jinichiro Kozuma (Iron Heads GC), Caleb Surratt (Legion XIII) and Anirban Lahiri (Crushers GC) face a challenging links test. Lahiri hasn’t made an Open start since 2018. Kozuma and Surratt will be looking to make their first Open Championship appearance.

Dundonald Links in Ayrshire hosts Lee Westwood (Majesticks GC) and Adrian Meronk (Cleeks Golf Club). Westwood last played The Open in 2022 but has a strong history in the championship, including a T4 at Portrush in 2019. Meronk is hoping to make his fourth consecutive Open Championship appearance.

Royal Cinque Ports in Kent features the largest LIV contingent: McDowell, Ian Poulter (Majesticks), David Puig (Fireballs GC), Dean Burmester (Stinger GC) and Peter Uihlein (RangeGoats GC).

At LIV Golf Dallas, Puig, who narrowly missed the LIV Golf Open Championship exemption claimed by his Fireballs GC teammate Sergio Garcia, revealed his mindset for competing in high-stakes qualifiers.

“You need to play well and be prepared from the start. With only four or five spots available out of 90 strong players, you have to perform at a high level for 36 holes,” Puig said. “I’ve done well in qualifiers so far, but you need to be aggressive early, chasing birdies quickly. Toward the end, you assess your position. It’s aggressive golf for two rounds, and you have to be ready.”

At West Lancashire, Sam Horsfield (Majesticks GC), Lucas Herbert (Ripper GC), Andy Ogletree (HyFlyers GC) and Harold Varner III (4Aces GC) will look to punch their ticket to The Open.

TEE TIMES FOR LIV GOLF PLAYERS (FINAL QUALIFYING, THE OPEN)