As the second round of the British Open comes to a close, a crucial moment awaits as the cut will determine the fate of many players. In order to continue playing into the weekend and have a chance at a share of the Open’s impressive $17 million prize money, players must place within the top 70 or be tied with the 70th-place player.
At Royal Troon, the cut line is currently set at 3-over, but with challenging weather conditions expected to hit later in the day, the cut line is likely to move up by a stroke or two. Notable players such as Bryson DeChambeau (+6), Max Homa (+6), Phil Mickelson (+6), Rickie Fowler (+7), Rory McIlroy (+7), and Tiger Woods (+12) are all on the bubble and face the risk of missing the cut.
In the history of the Open, the highest cut to par was 8-over, occurring in both 1973 and 1982. On the other hand, the lowest cut to par was recorded in 2021 at Royal St. George’s, where only 77 players advanced to the weekend at 1-over. Interestingly, eight past champions who attempted to defend their title in the following year failed to make the cut, with the most recent being Collin Morikawa in 2022.