The Open confirms last-minute withdrawal before Final Qualifying showdown
The 152nd Open Championship 2024 An Open sign out on course during the Preview of The 152nd Open Championship 2024 Royal Troon Golf Club, Troon, Ayrshire, Scotland. 15/07/2024. Picture Thos Caffrey / Golffile.ie All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Thos Caffrey Troon Royal Troon Golf Club Ayrshire Scotland Copyright: xThosxCaffreyx
The 152nd Open Championship 2024 An Open sign out on course during the Preview of The 152nd Open Championship 2024 Royal Troon Golf Club, Troon, Ayrshire, Scotland. 15/07/2024. Picture Thos Caffrey / Golffile.ie All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Thos Caffrey Troon Royal Troon Golf Club Ayrshire Scotland Copyright: xThosxCaffreyx
Danish professional golfer Marcus Helligkilde's pursuit of a first Open Championship appearance has taken another setback as he will not be part of Monday's Last-Chance Qualifier, ending what had been one of the final routes into the field at Royal Birkdale.
Helligkilde fell short by one shot at Burnham & Berrow in Final Qualifying. Monday would have been his last opportunity to secure a place in the 154th Open Championship.
Helligkilde’s name is not on the updated field released by the R&A. It’s clear that the 29-year-old has withdrawn from the 18-hole qualifier without providing any official reason.
2026-06-07 Final Day - KLM Open AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - JUNE 7: Marcus Helligkilde of Denmark during Final Day at the KLM Open at The International on June 7, 2026 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam The International Netherlands Content not available for redistribution in The Netherlands directly or indirectly through any third parties. Copyright: xMarcelxvanxPlateringenx
2026-06-07 Final Day - KLM Open AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - JUNE 7: Marcus Helligkilde of Denmark during Final Day at the KLM Open at The International on June 7, 2026 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam The International Netherlands Content not available for redistribution in The Netherlands directly or indirectly through any third parties. Copyright: xMarcelxvanxPlateringenx
Helligkilde has missed a lot of action lately. Following neck surgery in 2024, he remained out of competition for more than 1.5 years. He returned to the European Tour but missed the cut in his comeback event, as reported by GolfMagic.
Amateur Frazer Jones will replace Helligkilde in the 12-man field at Royal Birkdale, with the 20-year-old seeking a second straight Open appearance as attention shifts to the rest of the contenders competing for the final spot in the championship field.
The rest of the lineup at the Last-Chance Qualifier
The inaugural Last-Chance Qualifier will be the pathway to the final place in the 156-man field for the 154th Open Championship.
“I think we're going to create some drama and excitement at the start of the week,” R&A CEO Mark Darbon said in an interview accessed via ASAP Sports.
In the 12-man lineup, the highest-ranked contender will be 2025 Rocket Classic champion Aldrich Potgieter. The World No. 77 will look to secure his third Open appearance at Royal Birkdale.
One rank behind him, Matti Schmid has played in The Open three previous times and posted a remarkable T4 finish at the PGA Championship this year. He’ll be one of the favorites to qualify.
DP World Tour players Adri Arnaus, Ángel Hidalgo, Joe Dean, and Andrew Wilson are also part of the lineup.
YouTube golf star and former PGA Tour winner Wesley Bryan will attract a lot of attention at the qualifier. In Final Qualifying, the 36-year-old finished one stroke short of a playoff.
If Bryan crosses the line on Monday, it will be his first major championship appearance since the 2018 Masters.
Jones makes it three amateurs in the lineup alongside Matt Maloney and Sam Easterbrook.
Who do you think will come out on top at the Last-Chance Qualifier? Share your picks in the comments.
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Written by
Avishek Sarkar
Edited by
Pulkit Prabhav