Several leading players have missed the cut at the Open de Espana in Madrid, including Patrick Reed, Justin Rose, Jayden Schaper and Bubba Watson, as the DP World Tour’s season nears its end.
The tournament at Real Club de Campo Villa de Madrid carries a national open title, places in the season-ending playoffs and a PGA Tour card for 2027. Here are the big names who failed to make the weekend.
Patrick Reed (+2)
Patrick Reed had hoped to extend his lead over Rory McIlroy in the Race To Dubai standings with a strong finish in Madrid. Missing the cut means he could now be knocked off top spot. Eugenio Chacarra, despite a broken toe, is challenging for his national open title in his own backyard. Only a victory will be enough for the Spaniard to overtake Reed, but a second or third place will be enough to overhaul McIlroy and move into second.
Reed is recovering from the injury that forced him out of the BMW PGA Championship, so it is another week without points. He improved on Friday with a level-par round of 71, but his opening 73 on Thursday cost him, and he missed the weekend by a stroke.
Justin Rose (+2)
Justin Rose finished T18 at the Tour Championship on the PGA Tour, but his return to Europe has not gone to plan. He finished T51 at the BMW PGA Championship and then missed the third-round cut at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. He has now missed back-to-back cuts after shooting 72-72 for a two-over total, agonisingly missing the weekend by a single shot.
Jayden Schaper (+2)
Jayden Schaper has faded after a stunning start to the season. The South African won back-to-back tournaments at the start of the campaign, the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the Mauritius Open. Since then, only a T36 at Wentworth has kept him going. He entered the week seventh in the Race To Dubai, but after rounds of 73 and 71 he missed the weekend, his second cut in a row and third in four starts.
Bubba Watson (+3)
Bubba Watson’s debut in the tournament did not go as planned. He opened with a four-over 75 on Thursday, leaving himself an uphill battle from the start. The two-time Masters champion improved to a one-under 70 on Friday but was still a couple of shots short of the cut. He also missed the cut last week at the Dunhill Links.
Tom McKibbin (+3)
Tom McKibbin had found good form with a T6 at the British Masters and a T5 at the Irish Open in successive weeks. That form has deserted him. The Northern Irishman has missed the cut in his last two events, having also failed to make the weekend at Wentworth.
Nicolai Hojgaard (+4)
Nicolai Hojgaard’s poor run continued even with a hole-in-one on Friday. It was his fourth consecutive missed cut on the DP World Tour. He was wayward during his opening 74, and despite the ace on the third hole, he could not break par on Friday and finished at four over. Hojgaard started the week 100th in the Race To Dubai standings, so he faces a huge task to reach the season-ending playoffs.
Adrian Meronk (+5)
Last week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship winner, Adrian Meronk, struggled in Spain, and it was little surprise given the hangover from his victory. He opened with a 72, but a 75 on Friday condemned him to a missed cut the week after tasting success. It shows how tough it is to win on the DP World Tour.
Tyrrell Hatton (+6)
Jon Rahm’s decision to quit LIV Golf has put the spotlight on his Legion XIII teammate, Tyrrell Hatton, who may follow suit. For now, Hatton is focused on the DP World Tour, but his week in Spain did not go well. An opening 76 on Thursday did the damage, and he was nowhere near the cut mark despite a much better 72 on Friday. It is now back-to-back missed cuts for the Englishman.
Andy Sullivan (+9)
Former Ryder Cupper Andy Sullivan was ninth in the Race To Dubai heading to Spain, despite withdrawing from the French Open on his last start. He made a horrible start to his return in Madrid, opening with a 78. His 73 on Friday offered some improvement but was not enough to reach the weekend.
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