​These guys probably won’t win The Open on Sunday at Royal Birkdale, but whether they’re in contention or not, their personal stories are sure to captivate the crowd tuning in. Howard, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at seven, once Googled his life expectancy and faced a stark prognosis: the mid-20s. Now 27, he’s competing in his first major. “I’ve passed my sell-by date,” the Irish amateur from Cork quipped, having finally qualified for the Open out of Dundonald Links despite entering the field only as a reserve. Howard takes daily medication to thin the mucus in his lungs and to help him digest foods without a functioning pancreas. He travels with a physiotherapist in case symptoms flare up during tournaments. Yet his journey to Royal Birkdale goes far beyond his CF battle.
While in secondary school, Howard began using alcohol. “If I got caught drinking, I would run away or say, ‘Sure, it doesn’t matter, I won’t be here for long,’” he told the Irish Times. He eventually sought counseling, and when contact sports became impossible, golf offered him an outlet. He continued to play casually after graduation while working as an auto mechanic for Audi. But the pandemic pushed him back into depression; he spent months indoors, fearing infection due to his condition. The isolation intensified his turmoil, triggering manic episodes and psychosis that led to hospitalization and antipsychotic treatment. “I couldn’t get out of bed for a few months,” he recalled. “It was a tough stretch, and hearing that my parents might never see me the same again after I recovered was hard.”
Howard returned to work and golf, and at the start of 2024, he left his job to pursue competitive golf full-time. Still an amateur, his résumé includes a victory at the 2025 East of Ireland Championship and a runner-up finish at this year’s Irish Amateur. His father, John, will carry his bag this week at Birkdale. “I am not worrying at the moment,” Howard said. “The mindset is to keep doing what I’m doing and have no regrets down the line.” He also told the Irish Examiner: “If I do well [in The Open], I’m sure that could change a lot of things. I suppose it’s a big achievement just getting there in the first place, so we’ll see where that takes me.”
Open Final Qualifying took place at Dundonald Links. After losing his Korn Ferry Tour card last season, 32-year-old Plunkett redirected his focus to Asia this year, recording five top-15 finishes in seven starts between the Asian Tour and the Asian Development Tour. It’s not Plunkett’s first time overseas; he played college golf at the United States Military Academy. Upon graduating from West Point in 2016, he served five years in the Army as a transportation officer, applying the discipline that has underpinned his professional journey.