Lee Westwood to skip first Open Championship after 29-year streak

The Open Championship will be the last major of the 2023 PGA Tour Season. Lee Westwood, however, will not be a part of the Open Championship. After three exciting majors with three exciting winners, the last major of the year is bound to be an exhilarating one.

As other LIV Golfers like Sergio Garcia attempt to qualify for the major, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood will not be taking part in any qualification tournament. This means that Westwood will miss his very first Open Championship in over 29 years.

🚨#NEW: Sergio Garcia has opted for Open Championship qualifying; will hope to earn a birth to Royal Liverpool. Ian Poulter & Lee Westwood have elected not to do the same, per @TelegraphSport.

This news also comes after Lee Westwood was not allowed to compete at the Senior Open. Due to him joining the LIV Golf Series, Westwood has fines of up to £800,000 levied against him by the DP World Tour, making him ineligible to play.

However, Westwood has maintained that he resigned from the tour before the tour banned him, thus making his fines null.

Lee Westwood's journey from the European Tour to the LIV Golf Series

1️⃣9️⃣9️⃣7️⃣: #RyderCup debut
2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣1️⃣: Record-equalling 11th appearance

Lee Westwood reflects on what's changed - and what hasn't - since he first played in the Ryder Cup ⛳️

https://t.co/ueeArdDWPP

Lee Westwood has had quite an impressive golf career. The 50-year-old is one of the very few golfers to have won tournaments on five continents over four decades.

Westwood has represented Europe in 10 Ryder Cups. He also achieved World No. 1 status in 2010, becoming the first British golfer to do so since Sir Nick Faldo.

Westwood won for the first time in his pro career all the way back in 1996, lifting the trophy at the Volvo Scandinavian Masters. 2007 was Westwood's most successful year.

He won seven tournaments worldwide and was ranked No. 1 on the European Order of Merit. Westwood has also finished third or higher at all four major championships at some point in his career.

With 25 wins on the European Tour and two wins on the PGA Tour, Westwood joined the LIV Golf Series in 2022.

He is currently on the Majesticks GC team alongside Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson, and Sam Horsefield. Westwood also shares the record for the lowest round in LIV Golf history when he carded a 62 at the Boston event.