Sam Horsfield will not compete at the Open Championship after being disqualified from his qualifying event at West Lancashire on Tuesday.
Sam Horsfield did not qualify for the Open Championship (Image: Getty)
LIV Golf star Sam Horsfield has spoken out after his unsuccessful bid to qualify for the Open Championship. The 28-year-old was part of a qualifier at West Lancashire golf course on Tuesday but faced disqualification.
The event was one of four qualifiers where players vied for a spot at the prestigious major. Horsfield’s hopes of playing in the Open were dashed after he withdrew from the course seven-over-par after nine holes, following a trio of consecutive double-bogeys. Yet, the LIV golfer was technically disqualified for not informing tournament officials of his departure. Horsfield later revealed that his journey from the recent LIV Dallas event contributed to his poor performance during the qualifier.
“So I flew back home Sunday night and landed into Heathrow at 4pm,” Horsfield shared on Instagram. “By the time I got up to West Lancs it was [late]. Had a bit of dinner and fell asleep at 10.30/11pm.
“At 1am, the fire alarm went off and we had to go stand outside for an hour or so. I eventually got back to sleep around 5.30am for a 6am alarm, which I slept through, but fortunately my caddie woke me up… I felt completely dizzy and out of it all day.”
Addressing the backlash on social media regarding his exit, Horsfield stated: “Don’t listen to the propaganda out there against LIV players by some of these pages. Hope this clears things up. See you guys in Valderamma next week.”
Horsfield explained the reason for his disappointing round (Image: Getty)
Horsfield, who joined the LIV tour in 2022, competed in the Open for the first time last year but will not be returning this time. However, 19 LIV golfers will be present at Portrush, including three who secured their places through the various qualifying events.
Lucas Herbert had a contrasting experience to Horsfield at West Lancashire. The Australian led the pack after scoring eight-under, securing one of the five qualifying spots.
Fellow LIV star Dean Burmester also secured a place at the Open through Tuesday’s qualifying events. The 36-year-old posted an impressive 10-under at Royal Cinque Ports in Kent, finishing with a four-shot lead.
Horsfield will not be joining Lee Westwood at the Open Championship (Image: Getty)
Meanwhile, Lee Westwood will return to the Open for the first time since 2022 after scoring seven-under at Dundonald Links. The English golfer has twice been runner-up at the major in 2010 and 2016. Westwood also finished T4 when the Open was last held at Portrush.
“I haven’t tried to qualify for the last couple of years for one reason or another,” Westwood said. “Royal Portrush is a fantastic golf course and I played well there last time, finished fourth in 2019, so that was another reason to come and play.
“The Open Championship is the greatest tournament on the golfing calendar. I’m not getting any younger, I’m 52 now.” Horsfield and Westwood, team-mates at Majesticks GC, will compete at LIV Andalucia next Friday, while the Open Championship begins at Portrush on July 17.
