British golf star won little-known award during final round at The Open despite missing cut

British golf star Aaron Rai won a little-known award during the final round of this year's Open Championship - despite not being on the course.

The 31-year-old carded two rounds of 71 to finish on two-over-par after the opening two rounds.

He missed the cut by a single stroke and therefore played no part in the weekend's action.

Rai would have hoped for a better performance, given that he finished in a tie for 11th place at the US Open.

He also won his maiden golf major at the PGA Championship earlier this year, finishing three strokes ahead of joint runners-up Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley.

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Rahm's performance at The Open did, in fact, have an impact on whether Rai became the first winner of a little-known award this year.

The Rory McIlroy Award is given to the DP World Tour player who records the strongest results across the four golfing majors in a season.

Rai was over 1,000 points clear of closest challenger Rahm, who needed to finish as runner-up at The Open to overtake the British star.

Justin Rose, Ludvig Aberg and Justin Thomas were also able to overhaul Rai depending on their results, all the way down to 10th-placed Tommy Fleetwood.

Fleetwood's front nine charge on Sunday, which looked like putting him in contention for the title at Royal Birkdale, could have threatened Rai's position, but he ultimately fell away and finished in a tie for fourth.

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Rahm went into Sunday with a slim chance of claiming the trophy, with his score of three-under-par after three rounds putting him seven shots off the lead held by Sam Burns.

But the Spaniard carded a double bogey on the first hole at Royal Birkdale, ending his chances early on.

The tournament was ultimately won by New Zealand's Ryan Fox, who birdied the final hole to finish a shot clear of Cameron Young and win his maiden major title.

Why Rory McIlroy can't win his own award

The Rory McIlroy Award was created back in November ahead of the 2026 season, marking the Northern Irishman's achievement as the first European player to complete golf's career grand slam.

But McIlroy himself isn't eligible to win it - because he is presenting it personally to the winner.

"To have something named after you, that will be presented to future generations of players, is a huge honour and it is very humbling," McIlroy stated when the award was announced.

"It certainly means a lot to me because the DP World Tour was where I started my career. I've always loved playing on it and, of course, representing Europe and the Tour in the Ryder Cup.

"I'm incredibly proud to be the first European to achieve the Career Grand Slam. The Majors represent the pinnacle of our sport, and I hope my success can inspire other DP World Tour members to chase and achieve their own dreams for years to come.

"I look forward to seeing who becomes the first recipient of this new award in 2026 and it will be another very proud moment for me personally to present the trophy to them."