This year, 13 venues across four countries play host to hundreds of players looking to come through Final Qualifying for next month’s US Open at Shinnecock Hills, with several spots available at each.
As always, there are a number of household names involved. While some of them made it through – including several LIV Golf stars and a former US Open champion – with only 16 spots available across the two sites, there was bound to be some heartache.
21 big names who failed at US Open Final Qualifying
At Dallas Athletic Club, 4-under-par was good enough to get you in, while 3-under took you into a playoff. At Walton Heath, meanwhile, four players finished on 10-under to go into a playoff.
Byeong Hun An (NR)
Made the move to LIV Golf in January to captain the brand new Korean Golf Club team, who are currently rock bottom of LIV’s team standings. An carded an opening-round 69 in Dallas before presumably unraveling in the afternoon.
Abraham Ancer (-1)
Currently 15th in the LIV standings, Ancer has played in four US Opens and never finished better than T49. And he won’t get a chance to better that after rounds of 70-71 in Dallas.
Josele Ballester (-2)
One of LIV’s Spanish young guns, Ballester booked a spot at last year’s Masters and US Open thanks to his US Amateur win in 2024. He missed the cut at both. Rounds of 68-72 saw him miss out on the playoff by one.
Eugenio Chacarra (-3)
One of the few players who has won on LIV Golf and then gone on to win on either the PGA or DP World Tour. Chacarra lost in the six-for-one playoff to miss out on a second US Open appearance.
Cameron Champ (WD)
The big-hitting American raced to three PGA Tour wins and had top-10s at the Masters and PGA Championship before falling off a cliff. The World No.319 WD after an opening 73 in Dallas.
Joel Dahmen (-1)
The Netflix star was in good shape after an opening 68, but it all went wrong in the afternoon at the Dallas Athletic Club, where the Gold course was clearly playing much harder.
Thomas Detry (-10)
The Belgian, who joined Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces team in January, was in pole position to take the automatic qualification spot offered to LIV Golf, before Lucas Herbert snatched it with victory in Virginia. He was cruelly denied at Walton Heath, too, where he was edged out in a playoff after rounds of 68-66.
Nick Dunlap (E)
A little more than two years has passed since Dunlap became the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson in 1991. He added a second as a pro a few months later to move to No.30 in the world. He’s not far away from adding a zero to that number. His major record to date reads eight appearances, including four at the US Open, and eight missed cuts. He won’t get the chance to add to that after rounds of 70-72 in Dallas.
Sergio Garcia (-1)
Garcia missed out in Final Qualifying last year to end a 25-year run of appearances at the US Open – a tournament that has yielded five of the Spaniard’s 23 top-10 finishes. And he’s missed out here, too, despite a spirited 68 in the afternoon round in Dallas.
Branden Grace (-1)
The South African had three top-10 finishes at the US Open before signing for LIV in 2022 and effectively ending his major career. That absense will continue after rounds of 72-69.
Sam Horsfield (+1)
Horsfield, who plays for Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood’s Majesticks on LIV Golf, has a rotten major record, which includes a T49, T67, and nine missed cuts – including all four attempts at the US Open. His last attempt to get into a major via FQ ended in a DQ, so credit to him for finishing the job at Walton Heath, despite being 11 shots off the pace.
Michael La Sasso (+9)
The American, who turned pro in January to join Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers at LIV Golf, isn’t having the best start to life in the paid ranks. And rounds of 72-79 heres saw him finish 12 shots off the pace.
Thriston Lawrence (-3)
The five-time DP World Tour winner just missed out on an automatic qualification when he finished T12 at Oakmont last year, and rounds of 70-71 at Walton Heath mean he won’t be going back.
Matteo Manessero (+1)
The Italian was the hottest golfer on the planet in his late teens when he raced to four DP World Tour wins, including the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. But then his game fell off a cliff, and he didn’t play in a single major between the 2016 Open and ’24 US Open. Looked in good nick at Walton Heath after an opening 70 before an afternoon 75 derailed him.
Edoardo Molinari (-1)
Better known now as Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup data guru, but Dodo has had an uncanny habit of qualifying for the US Open of late – though he did miss the cut in both 2024 and ’25. It wasn’t to be a third straight appearance, though, after rounds of 70-73 at Walton Heath.
Sebastian Munoz (WD)
The Colombian is ticking along nicely on LIV Golf this season, and it he carded a 66 to put himself well in contention for a spot at the US Open. He withdrew during the second round, though.
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (DNF)
The Dane was incredibly unlucky to miss out on automatic qualification for this year’s US Open. Last year at Oakmont, he finished in a tie for 12th, with the top-10 receiving invites for the following year. Carded an opening 74 in Dallas before pulling out during the second round.
Victor Perez (-5)
The DP World Tour star turned down his PGA Tour card last year to join Martin Kaymer’s Cleeks team on LIV Golf. His US Open record reads MC-MC-MC-MC-MC-T19, and he can now add a DNP to that after missing out on the Walton Heath playoff by a single shot.
Brendan Steele (WD)
Another player who gave up his major career to join LIV, Steele has a peculiar US Open record, which reads MC-T15-T13-63-MC. He can add a Final Qualifying WD to that after an opening-round 70 had him nicely placed.
Cameron Tringale (E)
Steele’s HyFlyers teammate carded rounds of 71-71 and he won’t get the chance to add to his T14 at the 2022 US Open.
Harold Varner III (+3)
One of the few players happy to admit they were joining LIV to swell their bank balance, but it also came at a cost and the American has not played in a major since 2023. He won’t play in this year’s US Open, either, after rounds of 72-73 in Dallas.