Dustin Johnson, the 2016 Open champion and 4Aces GC captain, is set to contest final qualifying at Dundonald Links in Scotland on Tuesday, 30 June for The 154th Open. The 42-year-old former world No. 1 must place inside the top five at the venue to secure his spot at Royal Birkdale next month.
Since leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, Johnson has dropped to 210th in the Official World Golf Ranking, which means he is no longer exempt for the championship he has played every year since his debut at Turnberry in 2009. LIV Golf said Johnson has been “one of the hottest players at majors in 2026” and is one of just 22 golfers worldwide who have reached the weekend at the Masters, PGA Championship and U.S. Open this season.
How Final Qualifying Works
The Open’s official qualifying structure sends players to four venues on 30 June: Burnham & Berrow, Dundonald Links, Royal Cinque Ports and West Lancashire. Five golfers will advance from each site, giving 20 players in total a route into the field at Royal Birkdale. The format is a 36-hole shoot-out played in a single day.
The Scotsman reported that Johnson will be grouped at Dundonald with Scottish amateur Connor Graham and Spanish player Angel Hidalgo. Lee Westwood came through the same venue last year to qualify for The Open at Royal Portrush.
Johnson’s 2026 Major Form
Johnson’s results at the three majors played so far this year are modest by his own standards, but he has made the cut in all three. He finished T33 at The Masters (73-71-75-69) and T44 at the PGA Championship (72-70-68-72). At the US Open at Shinnecock Hills, he opened with a 66 to sit at 4-under after round one before a difficult second round that included a quadruple bogey on the 15th. He finished at 3-over but made the cut.
Those three consecutive cuts represent a marked improvement on 2025, when Johnson missed the cut at The Masters, PGA Championship and US Open before finishing T23 at The Open. LIV Golf said he is seeking to extend his streak to 70 consecutive major appearances.
Johnson’s Open Record
Johnson has a strong record at The Open. He has five top-10 finishes in the championship, including a runner-up at Royal St George’s, and won at Royal Troon in 2016. A two-time major winner with more than 30 global victories, he has rarely had to use the qualifying route for the championship.
Other LIV Players in Qualifying
Johnson is one of 13 LIV Golf players entered across the four final qualifying venues. Carlos Ortiz will join him at Dundonald Links, while Sergio Garcia is entered at West Lancashire. Dean Burmester, Branden Grace, David Puig, Peter Uihlein, Thomas Detry and Caleb Surratt are among the others spread across the remaining sites.
The Dundonald Links field also features several home-based professionals and amateurs, including Grant Forrest, Craig Howie and Sam Locke.
Johnson tees off on Tuesday, 30 June, with five spots at Royal Birkdale on the line.
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Simon Bale
Simon Bale is the publisher of Golf Today. A low single-figure handicap golfer, he was previously a major shareholder and course reviewer for Top100GolfCourses.com for over a decade, starting in 2010. Through this role, he developed extensive knowledge of golf course design and architecture while playing more than 300 courses worldwide.