Masters, The Open Championship align aspects of qualifying criteria for major championships
Six tournament winners will be granted invites into the first and last majors each season
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Augusta National Golf Club and The R&A on Tuesday announced jointly a plan to align aspects of the qualifying criteria for their acclaimed tournaments, the Masters and The Open. Beginning in 2026, both major championships will invite the winners of select national opens across several international tours.
"The Masters Tournament has long recognized the significance of having international representation among its invitees," said Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National. "We, along with The R&A, have a shared commitment to the global game and are proud to work together. Today's announcement strengthens our organizations' collective vision of rewarding top talent around the world who rise to the top of historic national open championships. We hope this formal recognition shines a bright light on these players and the events they will represent at the Masters and The Open, beginning next year."
The six tournaments added to the qualification criteria:
- Scottish Open
- Spanish Open
- Japan Open
- Hong Kong Open
- Australian Open
- South African Open
The winners of these events will be granted invitations to the Masters and The Open for one year.
Augusta National invites Players Championship winners for three years after their victories, while winners of other major championships are granted five years of qualification. Masters winners are able to play the tournament indefinitely. 2026 Masters qualifying criteria has already been announced, while the schedule for The Open Qualifying Series and the list of exemptions for next year's Open will be announced in September.
"We take great pride in the range of qualification routes we offer to players around the world through The Open Qualifying Series," said Mark Darbon, chief executive of The R&A. "We share the same goal as Augusta National to offer places in both The Open and the Masters to players competing in national opens and by doing so to help to showcase and strengthen our sport in those regions. This creates an outstanding opportunity for players in all parts of the world to qualify and we firmly believe this will continue to enrich the quality of the fields in both major championships."
