Each year, around two-thirds of The Open Championship field consists of players that are fully exempt from qualifying for the Open. The players who have already qualified for the 2011 Open Championship are listed below. Each player is classified according to the first category in which he qualified, but other categories are shown in parentheses.[5]
Tiger Woods (2,4,6,12,14,20) withdrew with a knee injury[6]
2. The Open Champions for 2001–2010
3. Past Open Champions born between 17 July 1945 and 19 July 1948
(This exemption category was introduced in 2008 when the age limit for past Open Champions was reduced from 65 to 60. It enabled those past Champions aged 60 to 65 at that time to continue playing until they were 65. Johnny Miller is now the only player in this category. He has not played in the Open since 1991.)
4. Past Open Champions finishing in the top 10 and tying for 10th place in The Open Championship 2006–2010 Tom Watson
27. First 2 and anyone tying for 2nd place, not exempt having applied (26) above, in a cumulative money list taken from all official 2011 Japan Golf Tour events up to and including the 2011 Mizuno Open Hiroo Kawai, Tadahiro Takayama
Alternates
To make up the full entry of 156, additional players are drawn from the Official World Golf Rankings dated 3 July 2011[20] (provided the player was entered in the Open and did not withdraw from qualifying).[5]
Webb Simpson (ranked 54) – As of 4 July 2011, a maximum of 151 players could qualify so the leading five players in the rankings not already qualified were offered places[21]
Returning to the course where he led by three with four holes to play in 2003, Thomas Bjørn (who gained entry into the tournament as the fifth alternate) shot 65 (−5) in the morning to set the early pace.[23] Surprisingly, 20-year-old amateur Tom Lewis, a later starter, tied Bjørn's score to share the lead. Lewis was the first amateur to hold at least a share of the lead after 18 holes since Michael Bonallack in 1968.[24]
He also carded the lowest single-round score by an amateur at The Open Championship.[25] 47-year-old Miguel Ángel Jiménez, 2009 U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover, and Webb Simpson all shot 66, a stroke back. Pre-tournament favourite Rory McIlroy, the reigning U.S. Open champion, bogeyed his first hole and shot 71; world number one Luke Donald and number two Lee Westwood matched that score.[26] Defending champion Louis Oosthuizen struggled in the calmer afternoon conditions, managing only a 72. Dustin Johnson earned shot of the day honors late in the morning when he aced the par-3 16th hole, part of a five-under-par four hole stretch from 14 through 17; he finished at 70. The large group at 68, three off the leaders, included 2010 U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell, and reigning PGA Championship champion Martin Kaymer.[27]
In the morning's play, overnight co-leader Tom Lewis shot 74 to fade back into the chasing pack. The clubhouse lead was taken by Lucas Glover, who started the day one stroke back and posted a steady level-par 70 to stay at −4. He was soon matched by veteran Darren Clarke who reached the mark with a rare closing birdie. As the wind picked up in the afternoon, first round co-leader Thomas Bjørn struggled to an up-and-down 72 to finish at −3. At various times, Miguel Ángel Jiménez and Simon Dyson took the lead, but struggled on their back nines; Jiménez finished at −3 and Dyson at E. Joining Bjørn and Jiménez one shot back were Chad Campbell and Martin Kaymer.
Tom Watson, playing with Tom Lewis, earned the second ace of the tournament, by holing out on the 6th hole for a hole in one. The 61-year-old Watson finished with a 70 to comfortably make the cut; he became the oldest ever player to make an Open cut. Pre-tournament favourite Rory McIlroy played better on Friday shooting 69 for an even par 140, earning a third straight round alongside Rickie Fowler.[28]
Notables who missed the cut included World No. 1 Luke Donald, World No.2 Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell, Matt Kuchar, Nick Watney, and Pádraig Harrington.[29]
In wet and windy difficult morning conditions, some of the best play came from Tom Watson, using his 35 years of Open experience to survive the worst of the weather and move up the field with a +2 (72). Rickie Fowler shot a two-under 68, still battling much of the worst of the weather, to move into contention at −2. Co-leader Darren Clarke, in the final pairing, shot 69 to take the 54-hole lead at 205 (−5), a stroke behind was Dustin Johnson. Johnson was in the final Sunday pairing for the third time in six majors, after the U.S. Open and PGA Championship the previous year. Second round co-leader Lucas Glover shot 73 to fall back to 209 (−1). Four-time major winner Phil Mickelson had 71 for even par 210,[30] while Thomas Bjørn, repeating his strong showing at the 2003 Open on this course, shot 71 for 208 (−2).[31]
Playing in his twentieth Open, 42-year-old Darren Clarke shot an even-par 70 in the final round to win his first major championship by three shots.[32][33]Phil Mickelson, 41, began the day tied for seventh and five shots out of the lead. He charged to a 30 (−5) on the front nine, equalling his lowest nine-hole stretch in a major. Mickelson made eagle on the 7th hole to tie for the lead and added a birdie on the 10th to move to 6-under for the day. Clarke, the 54-hole leader in the final pairing a half-hour back, countered with his own eagle on the 7th to open up a two shot lead.[34] A short missed par putt stalled Mickelson's momentum, and he faded on the back nine with three further bogeys to finish with a 68 (−2), tied for second with Dustin Johnson.[35] Johnson, playing with Clarke, also made a strong challenge, and was two shots out of the lead on the tee of the par-5 14th hole. Johnson tried to reach the green with a 2 iron from the fairway, but pushed it right and out of bounds to end his chances with a double-bogey seven to fall four back. This gave Clarke a four-stroke cushion over his nearest rivals with four holes to play, and he cruised to victory even despite bogeys on his final two holes.[36]
Clarke became the third Northern Irish champion in the past six majors, as well as the oldest debut major-winner, and oldest Open Champion, since Roberto De Vicenzo in 1967. Earlier in the day, Sergio García, playing his 49th consecutive major, had threatened to go low after being −4 for his round late on his front nine, but faded to a 68 (−2), and tied for ninth place. His 68 matched the low round of the day with Mickelson. Thomas Bjørn, eight years from his Open drama, produced another steady round to finish alone in fourth. Tom Watson, at 61 the oldest player to complete all four days at an Open, fired his third 72 of the week and finished in a tie for 22nd. Simon Dyson tied for 9th to take honours as the low Englishman.[37][38][39]
