Augusta National Golf Club and The R&A have jointly announced plans to align aspects of the qualification criteria for the Masters Tournament and The Open, awarding invitations to winners and top finishers of select national opens.
Coming into immediate effect, the champions of the Scottish Open, Spanish Open, Japan Open, Hong Kong Open, Australian Open, and South African Open will receive an invitation to play in the next Masters Tournament and The Open Championship.
“The Masters Tournament has long recognised the significance of having international representation among its invitees,” said Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament. “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 organisations’ 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.”
This approach builds on The R&A’s longstanding Open Qualifying Series and will ensure strong international pathways into both major championships from several professional tours, recognising the global strength of elite professional golf.
The Open Qualifying Series has been in operation since 2013 and offers players entry into The Open through prestigious Tour events across the world. Beginning later this year players can qualify for The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale through 15 events in 13 countries.
Mark Darbon, Chief Executive of The R&A said, “We take great pride in the range of qualification routes we offer to players around the world through The Open Qualifying Series. 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.”
Reacting to the news that the winner of the Australian Open will also win a place at the Masters, Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said: “We are committed to elevating the status of our national Open, and this announcement is another significant step in that direction. Winning a place in The Masters field is a great honour for any golfer and combined with the chance to qualify for The Open it will be a special bonus for the Australian Open winner.
“With 2025 Masters Champion Rory McIlroy already confirmed to play the Australian Open at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in December, there is already huge anticipation ahead of our tournament. This announcement will only fuel greater interest from players, fans and commercial partners.”
The schedule for The Open Qualifying Series and the list of exemptions for The 154th Open will be announced in September.
The 90th Masters is being held from April 9-12, 2026. The 154th Open Championship is being held at Royal Birkdale from July 16–19, 2026.
Click here to view qualification criteria for the 2026 Masters Tournament.