Sergio Garcia will miss the British Open for the third time in four years after the Master champion failed to get among the 20 spots on four courses during 36-hole qualifying Tuesday. For Matthew Baldwin, it's a major championship on his home course at Royal Birkdale.
Baldwin was among five qualifiers at Dundonald Links in the west of Scotland, joining medalist Jake McDonald, amateurs David Howard and Nevill Ruiter, and West Point graduate Marcus Plunkett, who served five years in the Army.
“I get emotional just thinking about it. It will be incredible,” Baldwin said. "Fortunately I have done it a couple of times before in the northwest at Hoylake and at Lytham so it will be a dream come true to do it in front of my family. It will be amazing.”
The British Open is July 16-19 at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England.
A trio of Americans — Peter Uihlein, Caleb Surratt and James Nicholas — qualified for both of golf's oldest championships. They also made it through 36-hole qualifiers for the U.S. Open.
Uihlein, the 2010 U.S. Amateur champion, was among five qualifiers at Royal Cinque Ports along with medalist Baard Bjoernevik Skogen, M.J. Daffue, Matthew Southgate and Antoine Rozner. Nicholas and Surratt qualified at Burnham & Berrow with Tom Sloman, Austen Truslow and amateur Alejandro de Castro Piera.
Sam Bairstow led the five qualifiers at West Lancashire, joined by Kazuma Kobori, Josele Ballester, Tiger Christensen and Matthew Jordan, who got the final spot in a playoff.
Among those who failed to make it through were LIV Golf players Thomas Detry and Anirban Lahiri, and Thriston Lawrence of South Africa, who finished fourth in the 2024 British Open at Royal Troon. Also missing out were 2016 Masters champion Danny Willet and Florida junior Luke Poulter, the son of Ryder Cup stalwart Ian Poulter.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Peter Uihlein hits from the tall fescue on the 13th hole during the second round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., Friday, June 19, 2026.(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Olson hit two home runs, Michael Harris II added a two-run shot, and Ozzie Albies also homered as the Atlanta Braves cranked up their power game to beat the New York Mets 5-3 on Friday night.
The Braves lead second-place Philadelphia in the NL East by three games despite entering the four-game series with a 5-14 record since June 9.
New York dropped 16 games under .500 for the first time since 2018. The most games under .500 for a team that reached the postseason was 16 by the 1914 Boston Braves at 12-28, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The Braves reclaimed their power stroke with the four homers. They had not hit as many as three homers in a game since a 5-2 win at Cincinnati on May 30.
Ronald Acuña Jr., who has been out since June 10 with a left hamstring strain, had two of the homers in the May 30 game. The Braves' downturn has overlapped his time on the injured list.
Atlanta signed Andrew McCutchen to a minor league deal in their ongoing search for offense.
Juan Soto hit a two-run homer for the Mets.
Braves right-hander Grant Holmes (5-4) allowed five hits and two runs, one earned, in five innings. Raisel Iglesias gave up a run-scoring single to Bo Bichette in the ninth before earning his 17th save.
Mets right-hander Christian Scott (2-1) gave up three runs on two hits and four walks in four innings.
The Mets, in last place in the NL East, have lost 10 of 12.
Interim manager Andy Green tweaked his lineup. Carson Benge, who had been the leadoff hitter in every game since May 12, hit fifth and had one hit. A.J. Ewing was the leadoff hitter for the first time this season. Ewing reached on a fielding error by Olson at first base and scored on Soto's homer to left field in the third inning.
Atlanta's Chris Sale was scheduled to face New York's Sean Manaea (1-3, 4.71) in a matchup of left-handers Saturday night.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
New York Mets' Juan Soto (22) reacts in the dugout with a Spiderman mask after hitting a tying two-run home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
Atlanta Braves pitcher Grant Holmes delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
New York Mets pitcher Christian Scott delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
New York Mets' Juan Soto watches his tying two-run home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
Atlanta Braves' Michael Harris II (23) reacts with Dominic Smith, right, after hitting a two-run home run in the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
