More changes are expected to come to the PGA Tour in 2026. On Tuesday, Augusta National Golf Club and the R&A unveiled a new pathway for qualifying for the Masters Tournament and the Open Championship.
Now, winners of select national opens will earn an invitation to the first and last major of the year. This marks a rare shift for a major rooted in tradition, as it removes certain invitations from the PGA Tour’s fall schedule.
The Masters Introduces New Qualifying Criteria
The Masters Committee is aiming to strengthen the field in 2026 by introducing updated qualifying criteria. In partnership with the R&A, the Masters will now invite winners or top finishers of the South African Open, Australian Open, Japan Open, Spanish Open, Hong Kong Open, and Scottish Open. Both the South African and Australian Opens rank among the five oldest tournaments in golf.
This change builds on the R&A’s “Open Qualifying Series,” created in 2013 to attract players from every continent where golf is played. The key difference for the Masters is that only winners of these events will receive an invitation.
Why the Masters Are Removing PGA Tour Fall Events
The Masters features the smallest field of the four majors, so it is removing invitations from the PGA Tour’s weaker fall events. The tournament aims to keep its field under 100 players to enhance the overall player experience.
Fall events often feature lower-ranked players. For example, all eight winners from last year’s fall events were not already eligible for the Masters, and four of them were ranked outside the top 100 in the world.
The previous year, three fall winners were outside the top 150 globally. Fall tournaments following the FedEx Cup season typically feature players competing to maintain their tour cards. The tweaks the Masters are making ensure a stronger field, while also incorporating international events into the selection process.
“We’re delighted to have the strength of the Masters supporting the national opens,” said Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Championships Director of the R&A. “It sends a really powerful message to the globe about these pathways to our championships and shines a light on these tours.”
While not the primary goal, this change also creates opportunities for players from LIV Golf, as they can now qualify through these national opens.
