There are 12 players. Four groups of three. One place to play the Open Championship 2026 at Royal Birkdale. A single spot. The last one. Just three days before the tournament begins. And two Spaniards in contention. You couldn’t ask for much more. A magnificent new initiative from the Royal & Ancient.
The Open announced on Saturday the tee times for that final qualifier, which will be played next Monday 13 July. They will tee off early, in four tee times that are, of course, blocked and cannot be used for practice rounds.
Adri Arnaus, one of the Spanish players taking part in this final opportunity, will tee off in the first tee time of the day, at 8:30 Spanish peninsular time. He will share a group with American amateur Matt Moloney and Englishman Andrew Wilson.
Meanwhile, Ángel Hidalgo will tee off half an hour later, at 9:03, alongside Aldrich Potgieter and Wesley Bryan.
The other two groups are:
John Gough – Charles Huntzinger – Sam Easterbrook (a)
Joe Dean – Frazer Jones – Matti Schmid
Both Hidalgo and Arnaus will be able to bring forward their trip to Royal Birkdale to prepare for this final qualifier, as Adri missed the cut in Germany on the HotelPlanner Tour and Ángel did the same at the Genesis Scottish Open
