Overview
- The R&A announced on July 7 that a 12‑player, 18‑hole Last‑Chance Qualifier will be held at Royal Birkdale on July 13 with the winner earning the final spot in The Open, which begins July 16.
- Wesley Bryan, a 2017 PGA Tour winner and prominent YouTube creator, earned a place in the field after missing direct qualification at West Lancashire by one shot.
- Bryan remains under an indefinite PGA Tour suspension for appearing in a promotional video tied to LIV Golf, but that suspension does not bar him from competing in the R&A event.
- The announced field mixes professionals and two amateurs and lists Aldrich Potgieter and Matti Schmid as the official alternates and among the leading contenders for the final Open place.
- The R&A's late, sudden‑death style qualifier changes the final entry process by creating a high‑pressure, single‑round gateway three days before the championship and underscores how narrow margins can decide major access.