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Herbert Leads Open; Spieth Misses Cut at Birkdale

7/18/2026

33 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Herbert Leads

The cut for the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale was set at +1 after Round 2 on July 17, limiting field to the top 70 and ties for the weekend.
Lucas Herbert led with a 5-under 68, sharing the lead with Cameron Young and Jackson Suber.
Jordan Spieth missed the cut after a double and quadruple bogey left him at +10, while Matt Fitzpatrick and Wyndham Clark missed, at +4 and +3.

Summary

Open Adjusts Cut

The Open uses the PGA cut rule, top 70 and ties after 36 holes, dropping the 10-shot exemption.
U.S. Open cuts to the top 60 and ties.
Cut lines were +1 in 2025 (Royal Portrush) and 2021 (Royal St. Georges), +6 in 2024 (Royal Troon), and +5 in 2017 (Royal Birkdale).
Data Golf predicts a 92.7 % chance of +1, 6.7 % even-par, 0.7 % +2, and weather with a firm, fast Birkdale.

History

Historical Context

The R&A’s 36-hole cut, first introduced at the 1960 Open at St Andrews and set at the top 70 and ties, remains the tournament’s hallmark. In 2024 at Royal Birkdale the cut line sat at +1, removing Jordan Spieth and 73 of 144 starters. This continuity links today’s leaderboard volatility to the format change that reshaped the Open’s global appeal.

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Herbert Leads

The cut for the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale was set at +1 after Round 2 on July 17, limiting field to the top 70 and ties for the weekend.
Lucas Herbert led with a 5-under 68, sharing the lead with Cameron Young and Jackson Suber.
Jordan Spieth missed the cut after a double and quadruple bogey left him at +10, while Matt Fitzpatrick and Wyndham Clark missed, at +4 and +3.

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