Qualification for The Open was first introduced in 1907, and involves the process a player must go through to play in the prestigious fourth major of the year if they are not otherwise exempt.
So, just how does Open Qualifying work?
Before Final Qualifying, there is Regional Qualifying which in 2025 took place on June 23 across 15 different venues: Bearwood Lakes, Caldy, Craigielaw, Enville, Ferndown, Fulford, Gog Magog, Hesketh, Kilmarnock (Barassie), Lindrick, Frilford Heath, Moor Park, North Hants, Rochester & Cobham Park, The Island.
These venues will also be used for the 2026 Regional Qualifying, except that Minchinhampton will replace Frilford Heath.
In 2025, 131 players qualified from the thousands that competed, including YouTube sensation Peter Finch, who came tied at the top of the leaderboard at Caldy on the Wirral.
These players then enter the final round – Final Qualifying – which is played across four different venues.
Final Open Qualifying: How does it work and what happened in 2025?
Just like in 2024, Final Open Qualifying in 2025 was held at four different venues this year: Royal Cinque Ports, West Lancs, Dundonald Links and Burnham & Berrow. These courses will be used in 2026.
Lee Westwood hadn’t played in The Open since 2022, and hadn’t tried to get in either, but on the 30th anniversary of his first appearance in 1995, he was the headline qualifier at Dundonald Links.
Westwood shot 70 and 67 for a seven-under-par total and medallist honours at the Ayrshire layout. Scot Daniel Young was a shot behind, along with Angel Hidalgo, while Jesper Sandborg qualified at five-under.
Connor Graham and Paul O’Hara had to fight out a sudden-death playoff for the final spot, and it was the former, a Blairgowrie amateur, who secured his place with a birdie three at the first playoff hole.
Content creator Peter Finch, meanwhile, shot two three over par rounds of 75.
Westwood’s fellow LIV colleague, Dean Burmester, produced a spectacular second round at Royal Cinque Ports to get into the field at Royal Portrush. The South African’s 8-under 64 followed a first round 70, and that was enough for a 10-under total and a four-shot success over Curtis Knipes and Nathan Kimsey. Amateur Sebastian Cave (a) and Challenge Tour player John Axelsen were the other qualifiers.
Advertisement
But a host of big stars also missed out on the Kent coast. David Puig shot 64 in his opening 18 but followed that with 78 to finish tied for 9th. Graeme McDowell was in the frame early on, but the former US Open victor finished 1-under after rounds of 70 and 73. Ian Poulter got off to a tough start, but reeled off four birdies in a row during his first round to keep his hopes alive. But he followed his 72 with a 71 to end up on 1-under.
He was competing in the same field as son Luke, and the junior Poulter was bang in contention after a first round 67. But the amateur found the going tough on a windy afternoon and faded to a 76.
There was a four-man playoff for two spots at West Lancashire. Six-time winner Lucas Herbert topped the table (69, 67; 8-under), with Sampson Zheng and Cavendish’s George Bloor also doing enough to avoid sudden death.
Richard Teder, Oliver Lindell, Ronan Mullarney and Sam Bairstow had to fight it out for the remaining places.
Lindell needed a lengthy par save at the opening playoff hole to keep his dreams alive, and then sank a 10-footer at the second to be the first qualifier.
And, at the 10th, the third playoff hole, Estonian amateur Teder sensationally holed out his second shot for eagle.
It was an incredible turnaround after he had doubled the last in regulation to put his spot in jeopardy. But he served up an incredible finish, finding the cup from around 80 yards to get into The Open in some style.
Advertisement
At Burnham and Berrow, Justin Walters fired in rounds of 65 and 68 to lead the way at nine-under and take that precious Open flag.
He was joined in Northern Ireland by former greenkeeper Jacob Skov Olesen and PGA Tour sensation Harry Hall, whose two rounds of 67 had all but secured his place earlier in the afternoon. Amateur Frazer Jones and OJ Farrell bagged the other two Open spots on six under.
That total left Anirban Lahiri agonisingly one shot short.
ALSO: How to qualify for The Open Championship
ALSO: The Open Championship field: Who is playing in 2025?
ALSO: Why can’t Peter Finch qualify for The Open?
A total of 20 players, five from each venue, got into The Open field from Final Qualification.
Here is who qualified at Open Championship Final Qualifying in 2025
Burnham & Berrow
Justin Walters
Jacob Skov Olesen
Harry Hall
Frazer Jones (a)
OJ Farrell
Dundonald Links
Lee Westwood
Daniel Young
Angel Hidalgo
Jesper Sandborg
Connor Graham (a)
Royal Cinque Ports
Dean Burmester
Curtis Knipes
Nathan Kimsey
Sebastian Cave (a)
John Axelsen
West Lancs
Lucas Herbert
Sampson Zheng
George Bloor
Oliver Lindell
Richard Teder (a)
NOW READ: Future Open Championship venues
NOW READ: Winners of The Open Championship
NOW READ: Should The Open be shown on free-to-air television?
Did you catch Open Championship Final Qualifying? Tell us on X!
Advertisement