Perez shining at Genesis Scottish Open, looks to play way into The Open Championship
Cleeks Golf Club’s Victor Perez is T6 entering the weekend at The Renaissance Club and is tied for the lowest score by a player who isn’t already exempt into The Open at Royal Birkdale.
Victor Perez is looking to play his way into The Open Championship field.
The Cleeks Golf Club standout fired a 6-under 64 in the second round of the Genesis Scottish Open to sit T6 and 7 under overall. And with the Scottish Open serving as the final event in The Open Qualifying Series, Perez is tied for the lowest score among players not already exempt for Royal Birkdale.
The top three non-exempt finishers this week earn a spot in next week's field — and right now, Perez is squarely in that conversation.
Legion XIII Captain Jon Rahm and teammate Tyrrell Hatton also bounced back with big rounds to remind everyone what they're capable of on a links course.
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Perez holds the best position of any LIV Golf player in the field and is firmly in the mix heading into the weekend. His clean, precise ball-striking has been ideally suited to the conditions at The Renaissance Club and Perez ranks 9th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach (+2.73 per round) through two rounds.
Jon Rahm shot 5-under 65 on Friday to make the cut at The Renaissance Club. (Photo by LIV Golf)
If Thursday belonged to Legion XIII’s Tom McKibbin - who shot a 3-under 67 in tough conditions in the opening round - Friday belonged to the LIV Golf heavyweights bouncing back. Rahm, who stumbled to a 3-over 73 on Thursday, answered with a 5-under 65 to move to 2 under for the tournament and sneak inside the cut line at T49. It was exactly the kind of response from a player of his caliber and a positive sign for Rahm with the Open Championship less than a week away.
Hatton was impressive as well, rebounding from an opening even-par 70 with a 4-under 66 to move to 4 under overall and climb into a share of 25th. The 2026 LIV Golf Andalucia champion heads into moving day with real momentum.
McKibbin had a tougher Friday. The Northern Irishman slipped back with a 1-over 71 to fall to 2 under and T49, but is through on the cut line. The momentum from Thursday was harder to find, but he lives to fight another day. Majesticks Golf Club’s Laurie Canter will also play the weekend after a 2-under 68 has him at 3 under overall, tied for 38th.
David Puig and Adrian Meronk will not be around for the weekend. Puig fired an impressive 6-under 64 on Friday — one of the low rounds of the day — but his opening 75 left too much ground to make up, finishing at 1 under and one off the cut line. Meronk closed at even par for the tournament after a 1-over 71, will also head home early.
Five LIV Golf players will tee it up over the weekend at The Renaissance Club.
