LIV Golf’s major drought will extend into 2026, but the breakaway league did have a surprise top-10 finisher at Royal Portrush for The Open Championship.
A breakdown of how each of the 20 LIV players fared at Royal Portrush.
1. Bryson DeChambeau (-9, T10) DeChambeau leading the LIV pack would not have been a surprise at the start of the week despite his shaky history on links courses. But his rally to a tie for 10th was especially impressive considering his 78 on Thursday left DeChambeau ahead of only seven players in the entire field.
Bryson DeChambeau of the US hits his tee shot on the 1st hole during the second round of the the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland on July 18, 2025. (Reuters)
The two-time US Open champion fired a 65 on Friday to make the cut on the number and then posted 68-64 over the weekend to finish at 9 under. DeChambeau’s 64 on Sunday tied champion Scottie Scheffler (second round) for the low round of the tournament.
2. Tyrrell Hatton (-7, T16) The Englishman played his way onto the first page of the leaderboard through 54 holes, but Hatton’s legendary temper was on full display during a disappointing 72 on Sunday. After battling to stay in contention on the front nine, Hatton went 1 over on the back to slide out of the top-20.
Tyrrell Hatton of England acknowledges the crowd after putting on the 18th green during the final round of the British Open golf championship on July 20, 2025. (AP)
3. Dustin Johnson (-6, T23) There was a D.J. sighting on the weekend of a major for the first time since The Open last year. It didn’t appear the drought was going to be snapped after opening with a 73, but Johnson went 69-67-69 to quietly move his way up the leaderboard.
T4. Sergio Garcia (-3, T34) Desperately trying to regain his form in time to convince European captain Luke Donald to consider him for the Ryder Cup, Garcia also made the cut on the number and then closed with a 68 for his low round of the tournament.
Sergio Garcia of Spain plays his tee shot on 9th hole the during the second round of the British Open golf championship on July 18, 2025. (AP)
T4. Jon Rahm (-3, T34) After solid showings at each of the first three majors of the year, Rahm admitted he just couldn’t find his groove at Royal Portrush. His low round was a 69 on Saturday, and the Spaniard was never a factor this week.
T4. Lee Westwood (-3, T34) The Englishman qualified for The Open for the first time in three years and then made some early noise by going 3 under through his first seven holes of the tournament. Westwood wasn’t able to maintain the momentum for 72 holes and closed with a 73 that included a triple bogey on Sunday.
7. Jason Kokrak (-2, T40) Kokrak hasn’t made many waves with his performance and cruised his way through four rounds at Royal Portrush without breaking 70. But that was good enough for a T40 — the best finish among players who failed to post at least one score in the 60s this week.
8. Henrik Stenson (-1, T45) The 2016 Open champion rebounded from an opening 75 to make the cut on the number. The author of one of the most dramatic finishes in Open history was unable to generate much drama over the weekend this time, closing 69-71.
9. Marc Leishman (E, T52) Leishman book-ended a 73 and a 75 with a pair of 68s. The Australian was never really a threat after going 3 over through his first 12 holes of the event. Leishman did go 4 under over the next 40 holes but was unable to maintain the momentum. Many take shots at LIV’s 54-hole format, and Leishman is one of several who again struggled on Sunday.
Marc Leishman of South Africa acknowledges the crowd after getting a birdie on the 12th green during the second round of the British Open golf championship on July 18, 2025. (AP)
10. Phil Mickelson (+1, T56) A hole-out as part of an opening 70 was Mickelson’s highlight for the week. He faded with a 72 on Friday that was followed by a 76 on Saturday. Mickelson did rebound for a closing 67 that saw him climb 10 spots on the leaderboard.
11. Dean Burmester (+3, T61) The South African made the cut with a stroke to spare but then tumbled with a 76 on Saturday. After opening the final round with three bogeys through four holes, Burmester did recover to post five birdies en route to a 69.
Missed the cut: Joaquin Niemann (144) Carlos Ortiz (145) Tom McKibbin (145) John Catlin (146) Lucas Herbert (146) Patrick Reed (147) Luis Oosthuizen (148) Brooks Koepka (149) Cam Smith (150)
The 20 LIV Golf players will now have a few days to relax locally before joining their league mates for this week’s LIV Golf IK starting Friday at the JCB Golf & Country Club.
