Fitzpatrick and Clark miss Open cut as Royal Birkdale trims the field

Matt Fitzpatrick and Wyndham Clark will not be around for the weekend at the 2026 Open Championship after the cut landed at 1 over at Royal Birkdale, CBS Sports reported.

The two departures gave Friday’s cut a sharp edge. Fitzpatrick arrived in Southport, England, as one of the four leading sportsbook favorites, according to CBS Sports, while Clark came in fresh off winning the U.S. Open last month.

At the top of the board, CBS Sports reported that Lucas Herbert held the lead, with Cameron Young, Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood and others inside the top 10 chasing the Claret Jug.

Fitzpatrick never found the surge expected from a player in such strong form. CBS Sports reported that he opened with a 72 and followed with another 72 on Friday, leaving him at 4 over, three shots outside the weekend number.

That was a jarring exit for a player CBS Sports described as being in the best form of his career. Fitzpatrick has three PGA Tour wins this season, was in the mix at the Scottish Open last week and had been viewed as a player suited to links golf.

There was also a national storyline attached to his week. CBS Sports noted that Fitzpatrick had been seen as a possible candidate to end England’s 34-year wait for an Open champion. Instead, his major season ended without a top-10 finish, according to the report.

Clark’s week ended one shot better, at 3 over, but still short of the cut. CBS Sports reported that he began Friday at 3 over and then hurt his chances with a rough front nine that included two double bogeys and three bogeys.

His card had fireworks elsewhere. CBS Sports reported that Clark also made five birdies and an eagle during the round, but those gains were wiped out by the damage on the other holes.

The missed cut keeps an unusual major pattern in place for Clark. According to CBS Sports, he has three career top-10 finishes in majors, and two of them were victories.

Notable players who missed the cut

CBS Sports listed these players among the names finishing outside the 1-over cut line at the 2026 Open Championship:

Aaron Rai: 2 over
Harris English: 2 over
Tom Kim: 3 over
Wyndham Clark: 3 over
Justin Rose: 3 over
Matt Fitzpatrick: 4 over
Joaquin Niemann: 4 over
Akshay Bhatia: 4 over
Jason Day: 4 over
Gary Woodland: 9 over
Jordan Spieth: 10 over

With Fitzpatrick, Clark, Justin Rose, Jason Day and Jordan Spieth all gone, Royal Birkdale’s weekend field lost several familiar names. The trophy chase, though, still has a crowded cast near the top, with Herbert out front and major champions lined up behind him, according to CBS Sports.

This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.