Patrick Reed could lose his top spot in the Race To Dubai standings after missing the cut at the Open de Espana in Madrid, and several other big names also failed to reach the weekend at Real Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.
The European Tour season is entering its final stretch. A national open title, places in the season-ending play-offs and a PGA Tour card for 2027 are all at stake in Madrid.
Here are the notable players who missed the cut.
Patrick Reed (+2)
Patrick Reed was looking to extend his lead over Rory McIlroy in the Race To Dubai with a strong showing in Madrid. Missing the cut, however, means he could now be knocked off top spot.
Eugenio Chacarra, despite a broken toe, is challenging for the 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 would 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 for him. He improved on Friday with a level-par round of 71, but his opening 73 on Thursday cost him, as he missed out by a single 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.
Rose shot 72-72 for a two-over total, agonisingly missing the weekend by a shot. It is now back-to-back missed cuts for the Englishman.
Jayden Schaper (+2)
Jayden Schaper has seen his impressive start to the season fade. The South African missed his second cut in a row and his third in four starts.
Schaper won back-to-back tournaments at the start of the season, at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the Mauritius Open. Only a T36 at Wentworth has kept him going of late. He entered the week seventh in the Race To Dubai but shot 73-71 to miss the weekend.
Bubba Watson (+3)
Bubba Watson’s debut in the tournament did not go as planned. He opened with a four-over 75 on Thursday, which left him facing an uphill battle from the start.
The two-time Masters champion improved to a one-under 70 on Friday, but he was still a couple of shots short of making the cut. Watson also missed the cut the previous week at the Dunhill Links.
Tom McKibbin (+3)
Tom McKibbin had found a good run of form on the DP World Tour, finishing T6 and T5 at the British Masters and Irish Open in successive weeks. That form has now 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)
Even a hole-in-one on Friday could not save Nicolai Hojgaard, whose poor run continued. It was his fourth missed cut in a row on the DP World Tour.
He was wayward during his opening 74, and despite the ace on the third hole, the Dane could not break par on Friday, finishing 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 play-offs.
Adrian Meronk (+5)
Adrian Meronk carried a hangover from his win at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship last week, so it was no surprise to see the big Pole struggle in Spain.
He opened with a 72, which was not too bad, but a 75 on Friday condemned him to a missed cut the week after tasting victory. It shows how tough it is to win on the DP World Tour.
Tyrrell Hatton (+6)
Jon Rahm has made headlines by quitting LIV Golf, and Hatton, his Legion XIII teammate, may follow suit. For now, Hatton is focused on the DP World Tour, but things did not go well for him in Spain.
An opening 76 on Thursday did the damage. He was nowhere near the cut mark despite a much-improved 72 on Friday. It is now back-to-back missed cuts for the Englishman.
Andy Sullivan (+9)
Former Ryder Cup player 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 on his return to action in Madrid, opening with a 78. His 73 on Friday offered at least some slight improvement, but it was not enough.