Boot Slammers at the 2025 Open Championship

Welcome to everyone’s favorite major championship Friday newsletter segment: trunk slammers. Or, as my friends in Great Britain and Ireland call it, boot slammers. Here are some notables heading home early from the Open Championship.

Patrick Cantlay (3 over) – A staple on recent American team events, Cantlay has done next to nothing in 2025 to deserve a place on the American Ryder Cup team. Still, with the state of the end of the U.S. team, Cantlay is a veteran who is in the discussion for a captain’s pick. But with three MCs and a T-36 in his four major starts, the decision to pick him would be more on trust and less on performance.

Cameron Young (4 over) – Our beloved Bronx bomber could have used a good performance this week. Young entered the championship riding high from a strong showing at Oakmont but failed to get out of the starting blocks at Portrush. He should still be in the mix for a captain’s pick at Bethpage but he didn’t do himself any favors this week.

Patrick Reed (5 over) – Another American some were arguing for Ryder Cup consideration, including Reed himself. Two very poor rounds at Royal Portrush will end that conversation.

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Brooks Koepka (7 over) – The five-time major winner missed three major cuts in 2025, the first time he’s done that in his career.

Collin Morikawa (7 over) – It happens to the best of them, but Morikawa just wasted a full year of majors in his prime. Zero top 10s and just one top-20 finish will have him streaking the wrong direction heading to Augusta next spring.

Cameron Smith (8 over) – Five straight missed cuts in majors for a player who was arguably the best player in the world in 2022.

Adam Scott (9 over) – A tale of two Adam Scotts in 2025 majors as he contended in two and missed two cuts in disappointing fashion. An innie and outie situation, you could say.

‍This piece originally appeared in the Fried Egg Golf newsletter. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.