Just a few weeks after opening hours at Royal Porthush in 2025, many of the PGA Tour’s biggest names have not yet qualified for the fourth major this year.
Northern Ireland’s Northern Ireland fields are getting thinner and the qualifying season is the last chance to get a select group entry.
Golf365 carefully examines the seven largest PGA Tour stars who have not yet entered the 2025 open venue.
Let’s take a closer look at their needs…
1. MaxHoma
- OWGR Ranking: 99
- PGA Tour Wins: 6
- Best done when it is published: T10 (2023)
Qualifications they need: His score is -14, and his lead is ahead of the final round before the 2025 John Deere Classic.
Max Homa needs to win the event or become the highest non-exempt member in the field to avoid losing the Open for the first time since 2019.
2. SiWoo Kim
- OWGR Ranking: 64
- PGA Tour Wins: 4
- Best done when it is published: T15 (2022)
Qualifications they need: Si Woo Kim finished the top 15 in all four majors in the PGA Tour’s South Korea Championship title.
He finished T8 in the 2025 PGA Championship and has always provided the game when he competes in A-Game, except being the youngest golfer to win the player championship in 2017.
3. EmilianoGrillo
- OWGR Ranking: 144
- PGA Tour Wins: 2
- Best done when it is published: T6 (2023)
Qualifications they need: The Argentine was also a 14 shot before the final round of the John Deere Classic, and if he wants to qualify for another Open, he needs to win the game, or be the highest non-waived terminator.
His last PGA Tour win was the 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge, which was the same year at the Royal Liverpool Open, with the former World Number 23 winning T6 at the Open.
4. Joel Daman
- OWGR Ranking: 169
- PGA Tour Wins: 1
- Best done when it is published: T46 (2021)
Qualifications they need: Netflix’s fan favorites fell to the world rankings and dropped to No. 169, and the 2025 season has been dull so far.
Dahmen is eligible for the Genesis Scottish Open with FedEx Cup points and if he wants to appear in Royal Prothush, he will need to be one of the top three non-exempt players at Renaissance clubs.
5. AldrichPotgieter
- OWGR Ranking: 49
- PGA Tour Wins: 1
- Best done when it is published: Missed (2022)
Qualifications they need: Despite winning his first PGA Tour title in Rocket Classic last week in a multi-hole playoff, the event is not part of the open qualifying series and he will have to qualify elsewhere.
His victory in Detroit is the highlight of an incredible year for South Africans, who must make the most of his Genesis Scottish Open and rank in the top three non-exempt players in the Links course.
6. Gary Woodland
- OWGR Ranking: 96
- PGA Tour Wins: 4
- Best done when it is published: T12 (2016)
Qualifications they need: Four PGA titles have not missed the open title since 2013 and won the T12 in 2016.
He won a seat on the Genesis Scottish Open field and needed to win the event or make the top three non-exempt finishers to start with 12 consecutive open ends.
7. Jake Knapp
- OWGR Ranking: 85
- PGA Tour Wins: 1
- Best done when it is published: Never appeared publicly
Qualifications they need: Knapp has achieved some incredible scoring feats on the PGA Tour, including a 59-round run by Cognizant Classic earlier this season.
He won the Virgin at the Mexico Open in 2024 and needed to win four-round low points in Genesis Scotland’s open top three non-waived finishers to win or win Royal Shotrus.
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