The anticipation is already building for golf’s most storied championship, as The R&A has officially unveiled the schedule and exemption categories for The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale. With the Claret Jug set to be contested once again in Southport, England, in July 2026, the global road to qualification is now mapped out, offering both established professionals and rising stars a shot at immortality.
Every year, The Open captivates the imagination of golf fans worldwide, and this edition promises to be no different. Mark Darbon, Chief Executive of The R&A, captured the spirit of the event perfectly, saying, “The Open is one of the world’s great sporting events and its global nature is reflected in the number of outstanding opportunities we offer to golfers to qualify for the Championship through our exemptions and professional tour events held internationally each year.” It’s a sentiment echoed by players and fans alike, as the qualification process itself becomes a story of drama and ambition.
The Open Qualifying Series (OQS) is set to begin in October 2025, spanning 15 events across 13 different countries. The OQS will draw from a diverse array of professional tours, including the PGA TOUR, Korn Ferry Tour, DP World Tour, Asian Tour, KPGA Tour, Japan Golf Tour, Sunshine Tour, and the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia. This global reach ensures that talent from virtually every corner of the golfing world will have a chance to secure a place at Royal Birkdale.
Among the new additions to the qualifying calendar are the Open de España presented by Madrid (9–12 October 2025), the Japan Open Golf Championship (16–19 October 2025), and the Link Hong Kong Open (30 October–2 November 2025). These events, alongside traditional fixtures like the Australian Open (4–7 December 2025) and the Genesis Scottish Open (9–12 July 2026), provide a broad stage for hopefuls to shine. In total, the OQS incorporates prestigious events from North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region, underscoring the championship’s global pull.
For those who don’t clinch their place through the main tour events, there’s still hope. Regional and Final Qualifying events will be staged across Great Britain and Ireland in June 2026, welcoming both professionals and amateurs who meet the entry criteria. And for the ultimate in last-minute drama, a new Last-Chance Qualifier is scheduled at Royal Birkdale itself on Monday, 13 July 2026. In this high-stakes playoff, twelve players will battle for the final coveted spot in the field, determined by a process designed to complement the existing qualification criteria.
The list of qualifying tournaments reads like a world tour of golf’s most iconic stops. From the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday in North America, to the Visa Argentina Open in South America, and the Open d’Italia and Genesis Scottish Open in Europe, the opportunities are plentiful. Asia-Pacific is well represented too, with the Australian Open, 105th New Zealand Open, Mizuno Open, KOLON Korea Open, and others offering qualifying places. The Investec South African Open Championship rounds out the list, ensuring Africa’s best also have a pathway to The Open.
But what about those already exempt? As of 22 September 2025, a star-studded roster has already secured their spots at Royal Birkdale. The likes of Ludvig Aberg, Akshay Bhatia, Keegan Bradley, Tommy Fleetwood, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Collin Morikawa, Tiger Woods, and many more have either earned their place through past triumphs or current rankings. The list is a who’s-who of golf’s elite, but it’s far from complete—more names will be added as the qualification season unfolds.
Amateurs are not left out of the equation. The exemption categories include major amateur champions from around the world, such as the US Amateur Champion, the Mark H McCormack Medal winner, and the Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Africa, European, and Open Amateur Series champions for 2025 and 2026. However, there’s a crucial caveat: as the official materials note, “The winner must maintain their amateur status to take up the exemption.” It’s a reminder that the journey to The Open is as much about discipline and commitment as it is about talent.
The exemption categories themselves are meticulously reviewed and updated each year to reflect the evolving landscape of professional golf. Notably, the categories now include achievements on emerging tours like LIV Golf, as well as the traditional benchmarks of major championship victories, top finishes in world rankings, and success on the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR. According to The R&A, this ensures that “places awarded in The Open reflect results achieved by golfers on the professional tours, including LIV Golf, and in leading elite amateur championships.”
For the record-keepers and stats lovers, the full list of exemption categories is comprehensive. Past Open Champions aged 60 or under on 19 July 2026 are in, along with recent major winners, the top 50 players on the Official World Golf Ranking as of Week 21, 2026, and leading players from the Race to Dubai and FedExCup standings. The list even includes the Senior Open Champion for 2025, as well as the winners of key amateur events across the globe.
With the first tee shot at Royal Birkdale scheduled for 16 July 2026, the countdown is well and truly on. The months ahead promise plenty of intrigue as players vie for their ticket to one of golf’s grandest stages. As Mark Darbon put it, “The Open Qualifying Series generates great excitement and intrigue each year as players compete to earn a coveted place in the Championship and so we look forward to seeing what stories emerge in the months ahead and the field coming together as we get closer to staging another memorable Open at Royal Birkdale next July.”
So, who will seize their moment and join the legends at Royal Birkdale? With qualification now open and the chase for exemptions underway, the stage is set for new stories, last-gasp heroics, and perhaps a few surprises. The journey to The 154th Open has begun—and the world will be watching every step of the way.
