​We are tracking the cut line at the 2026 Open Championship to see which top players might miss the weekend at the season’s final major. The biggest name currently in danger is Rory McIlroy, the two-time defending Masters champion and a former Open winner in 2014. McIlroy flashed some exceptional moments in Round 1, yet a few missed short putts helped push him to 2 over par as he heads into Round 2. The 2024 Open was the last major where he failed to make the cut.
Jordan Spieth, who captured The Open title at Royal Birkdale in 2017, opened with a 3 over in Round 1. Other highly ranked contenders are also in jeopardy: World No. 3 Matt Fitzpatrick, No. 8 and U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, and No. 10 Justin Rose. Also in the mix are PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai, Xander Schauffele, and Ludvig Åberg. For ongoing updates on who makes the cut and who falls short, keep scrolling for the latest developments from The Open.
For viewers hoping to watch live, The Open is being shown on Peacock. At Friday’s start, the cut line stood at 1 over par, meaning players who posted 1 over or better would qualify for the weekend if that threshold holds. Projections from DataGolf suggest the final cut line will likely settle at 2 over par.
Here are some notable scores as the round progressed:
– Sahith Theegala: +1, tee time 1:57 a.m.
– Aaron Rai: +1, 4:47 a.m.
– Ludvig Åberg: +1, 4:58 a.m.
– Xander Schauffele: +1, 5:09 a.m.
– Patrick Cantlay: +1, 5:31 a.m.
– Max Homa: +1, 7:14 a.m.
– Rickie Fowler: +1, 7:25 a.m.
– Akshay Bhatia: +1, 9:20 a.m.
– Rasmus Højgaard: +1, 9:20 a.m.
– Haotong Li: +2, 3:03 a.m.
– Patrick Reed: +2, 4:14 a.m.
– Adam Scott: +2, 4:25 a.m.
– Nicolai Højgaard: +2, 4:36 a.m.
– Rory McIlroy: +2, 5:09 a.m.
– Matt Fitzpatrick: +2, 5:09 a.m.
– Hideki Matsuyama: +2, 9:31 a.m.
– Cameron Smith: +3, 2:08 a.m.
– Jack Buchanan (amateur): +3, 3:47 a.m.
– Wyndham Clark: +3, 4:58 a.m.
– Jason Day: +3, 9:53 a.m.
– Jordan Spieth: +3, 10:15 a.m.
– Fifa Laopakdee (amateur): +5, 7:47 a.m.
– Mateo Pulcini (amateur): +5, 8:31 a.m.
– Justin Rose: +5, 9:42 a.m.
– Gary Woodland: +8, 7:58 a.m.
Of the 156 players in the field, 70 were guaranteed to make the cut after the first round, with the potential for more through ties. In the 2025 Open, exactly 70 players earned positions for the weekend at 1 over par, illustrating how tight the competition typically is.
Television and streaming coverage details for the Open Championship:
– Friday, July 17: NBCSN from 1:30 to 4:00 a.m., USA Network from 4:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
– Saturday, July 18: USA Network from 5:00 to 7:00 a.m., NBC from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
– Sunday, July 19: USA Network from 4:00 to 7:00 a.m., NBC from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Streaming is available on Peacock, Sling (for USA), and Fubo (for NBC).
Round 2 of the 2026 British Open broadcasts begins on NBCSN at 1:30 a.m. on July 17 and shifts to USA Network at 4:00 a.m. Rounds 3 and 4 will start on USA at 5:00 a.m. on July 18 and 4:00 a.m. on July 19, respectively, before transitioning to NBC at 7:00 a.m. on both days. Featured groups and hole-by-hole streaming are accessible on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s subscription service, throughout the tournament.
This recap of cut-line developments is drawn from initial reports on the Open Championship and related coverage. For the latest, keep an eye on the live leaderboard and the broadcast schedule as players chase a bid to the weekend in the sport’s most storied major.