The Open Championship cut line is one of the easiest golf terms to misunderstand because it sounds like a fixed number. It is not. At The Open, the cut is decided after the first 36 holes, and the players who qualify for the final two rounds are the low 70 scores and ties.
That means the cut line can move for most of Friday. A player who looks safe at lunch can slide toward the bubble if the afternoon wave scores better, while a player outside the projected line can still survive if wind, rain, or harder hole locations push later scores higher.
The short answer
After everyone completes two rounds, tournament officials rank the field by total score. The 70 players with the lowest totals qualify for Saturday and Sunday. Anyone tied with the 70th player also qualifies, which is why the weekend field can be larger than 70.
The official entry conditions for the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale state that after 36 holes, the 70 lowest scores and ties qualify for the third and fourth rounds. The event is scheduled for July 16-19, 2026, with Monday, July 20, and, in exceptional circumstances, Tuesday, July 21, available if play must be extended.
Why the projected cut keeps changing
Projected cut lines are estimates, not official results. They usually combine posted scores with players still on the course. That makes them useful for following the drama, but they are not final until every relevant Round 2 score is in and the championship confirms the number.
The most important detail is the word ties. If the 70th-place score is 3 over par and 14 players are tied at that number, all of them make the weekend. If the 70th-place score changes to 2 over par late in the day, everyone at 3 over can miss even if that number looked safe earlier.
How to read the leaderboard
Start with the total-score column, not the player's score for the day. A golfer at even par for Friday can still miss if Thursday's round left too much ground to make up. Also check how many holes each player has completed, because a player through 17 holes has much less time to change the cut than a player who has only reached the front nine.
What to check before Saturday
Look for three things: the official cut mark, whether any Round 2 groups still need to finish, and the tee-time draw for Round 3. Weather matters because The Open is played on links courses, where wind shifts can make one side of the draw play very differently from the other.
Fans should also separate making the cut from being in contention. A player can survive on the exact cut number and still be many shots behind the lead. The cut only decides who gets two more rounds; it does not reset the scoreboard.
Bottom line
The Open cut line is a moving threshold until 36 holes are complete. The safe rule for viewers is simple: follow the official leaderboard, remember that ties at 70th place are included, and wait for the confirmed Round 3 draw before treating the weekend field as final.
