Augusta National Golf Club and The R&A jointly announced plans on Tuesday to coordinate aspects of the qualifying criteria for the rated tournament, Masters and Open. Starting in 2026, both major championships will invite winners of the Select National Open on several international tours.
“The Masters Tournament has long recognized the importance of having international representation among invited guests,” said Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley. “We are proud to share and work together with R&A with a shared commitment to the global game. Today’s announcement reinforces the organization’s collective vision of rewarding the talents of top world leaders who rise to the top of the historic national open championship.
Six tournaments added to the qualification criteria:
- Scotland Open
- Spain Open
- Japan opens
- Hong Kong Open
- Australia’s opening
- South Africa opens
Winners for these events will be awarded to Masters invitations and one year of opening.
Augusta National will invite winners of the player’s championship for three years after the victory, while other major championship winners will be eligible for five years. Masters winners can play the tournament indefinitely. The 2026 Masters Qualifying Standards have already been announced, but the Open Qualifying Series schedule 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 our Open Qualifying Series,” said Mark Durbon, CEO of R&A. “We share the same goals with Augusta National, helping players compete in both the open and master locations at the National Open, and in doing so, to showcase and strengthen our sport in these regions.
