St Andrews, Scotland: Winners of the Australian Open, Hong Kong Open and Japan Open are to be granted starting places in the Masters Tournament and The Open.

In a huge boost for prominent national Opens around the world, Augusta National Golf Club and The R&A have announced jointly plans to align aspects of the qualification criteria for the Masters Tournament and The Open, awarding invitations to winners/top finishers of select national Opens beginning immediately.

This approach builds on The R&A’s long-standing and successful 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.

Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and CEO of the Asian Tour, said: “This is a phenomenal announcement which is tremendously important to our members and the Asian region.

“The Link Hong Kong Open has been one of the pillars of the Asian Tour over many decades. The recognition from Augusta National Golf Club and The R&A naming them as a gateway event to their illustrious Major championships acknowledges the heritage and stature of the tournament in Asia.

“We are extremely thankful the two bodies recognise the rising level of talent of professional golf in Asia by providing this incredibly important pathway.”

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 the 2025 Masters champion Rory McIlroy 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.

“This means a lot to Golf Australia and our local Tour, and we sincerely appreciate the significant gesture by the Augusta National Golf Club. We look forward to working with Augusta National and The R&A in supporting the game in our region.”

In addition to Australia, Hong Kong and Japan, the winners of the national Opens of Scotland, Spain and South Africa can look forward to making appearances at arguably the two most prestigious championships in the world.

“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.”

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.”

Click here to view qualification criteria for the 2026 Masters Tournament.

The schedule for The Open Qualifying Series and the list of exemptions for The 154th Open will be announced in September.

The 2026 Masters will be the 90th playing of the Masters Tournament and is scheduled for April 9-12. The 154th Open is scheduled for July 16-19 at Royal Birkdale.