Phil Mickelson among big names to MISS cut at the Open… as Scottie Scheffler narrowly advances

Six-time major champion Phil Mickelson is among several big names to have missed the cut at the Open Championship. 

Fellow major winners Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry and Justin Thomas were all beaten by the swirling links course at Royal Liverpool after 36 holes of golf. 

The quintet are some of the most experienced players the game has ever witnessed, having won 12 majors between them but have succumbed to the historic yet hardening par 71 track.

Mickelson couldn’t come back from his difficult opening round on Thursday that saw him card a 77 which included a triple bogey on the notoriously difficult 18th hole. 

The three-time Masters winner would add to that score on Friday, wrapping up his second round with a four-over 74 bringing his 36-hole tally up to nine-over par. 

Phil Mickelson (left) is one of several big names to be cut from the Open Championship this year

He’s joined by fellow LIV Golfer Dustin Johnson (pictured) who finished up on +13 on Friday

Two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas (pictured) suffered his third cut at a major this season after being cut at both the Masters and the US Open

Fellow LIV Golfer Johnson would have an even worse time, shooting a disastrous 10-over on Friday to take his total score to +13. 

The 2020 Masters Champion interestingly came into the tournament in good fettle, finishing T10 at last month’s US Open, but notably struggled at the PGA Championship and the Masters, finishing T55 and T48 respectively. 

Ryder Cup hopefuls Rose and Lowry joined them, with the Englishman finishing three back from the cut line, while the 2019 Open Champion ended up one shot behind him on +7. 

Thomas, meanwhile, seems to still be going through a difficult bout of form that today saw him miss his fifth cut of the season and third at major championship. 

He was narrowly cut at the Masters and did not advance to the weekend at the US Open, but will now fall out of contention in Liverpool this weekend, despite battling back to score even par for his second round. 

It was his opening score of 82 that cost him, with the two-time PGA Championship winner also struggling on the 18th hole, hitting nine shots to go card a quadruple bogey on the 599-yard par five. 

They were not the only ones finding it hard to make the cut line, with World No 1 Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Cameron Smith both booking their places in the weekend by the skin of their teeth. 

Coming down the fairway of the 18th it looked as though Scheffler could be dramatically cut from the competition. He struck his approach into a deep bunker on the 18th but rescued himself with a fantastic up-and-down to end his round with a birdie and finish at three-over. 

Englishman Justin Rose (pictured) also failed to secure a berth in the final two rounds after finishing day two at +2

World No 1 Scottie Scheffler (pictured) escaped the cut line narrowly after carding a birdie on the 18th hole on Friday 

Defending champion Cameron Smith (left) also pulled off a dramatic escape with an eagle to go to +2 after 36 holes

Rickie Fowler (pictured) also looked in jeopardy coming into his final few holes but he too survived the cut 

Smith’s escape from the cut was perhaps even more impressive, finishing up his second round with an eagle to bring his score down to two-over heading into the weekend. 

Rickie Fowler was another player struggling on Friday afternoon and despite coming into this tournament in such good form, after ending a four-year wait for a win on the PGA Tour, he too looked like he could be another absentee for the final two rounds. 

The American posted a second round 73 that saw him rescue an incredible par on the last hole after going wayward with both his drive and second shot. He then found his approach in the bunker just shy of the hole.

Fowler then delivered a fantastic save from the hazard, knowing he was playing right on the cut line, before tapping in with his putter to advance into the final two rounds.