James Nicholas

James Nicholas successfully came through unpredictable conditions at Final Qualifying to earn himself a spot at The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale.

Rounds of 65 and 67 saw the American top the leaderboard at Burnham & Berrow and he will now make his Open debut on England’s north-west coast.

Nicholas made his major bow at the 2025 US Open, having come through qualifying there, and went on to make the cut before finishing T61 at Oakmont Country Club. He qualified again for this year’s US Open, where he finished T65.

A former Yale University athlete, Nicholas played both golf and American football before committing fully to golf, going on to become a two-time Ivy League Player of the Year.

He turned professional in 2019 and recorded his maiden title on the Korn Ferry Tour at the Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard in February 2026.

The 29-year-old has also built a 400,000-strong following on TikTok, and his grandfather, a long-time orthopaedic surgeon for the New York Jets, was credited with prolonging the career of Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath.