Augusta National and the R&A have confirmed that the winners and top performers of multiple national opens will be awarded invitations to the Masters and the Open as part of a change to qualification pathways.
Effective from 2026, winners and selected top performers from the Scottish Open, Spanish Open, Japan Open, Hong Kong Open, Australian Open, and the South African Open will all be rewarded with entry to the 90th edition of the Masters, taking place between July 16-19.
“The Masters Tournament has long recognised the significance of having international representation among its invitees,” said chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and The Masters Tournament, Fred Ridley.
“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 changes align with the qualification routes for the Open with the six national opens now included as part of the Open Qualifying Series. The full schedule for the Open Qualifying Series will be unveiled in September.
Martin Slumbers, chief executive of the R&A, added: “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.”