The winner of the Australian Open will earn automatic entry to the Masters in a rare change to the qualifying criteria for the field at Augusta National.
Organisers have eliminated invitations to some PGA Tour winners, while joining the British R&A in recognising winners of six national opens on every main tour in the world.
Augusta National and the R&A announced plans to align aspects of their criteria to create a path to the Masters and British Open for winners or top finishers in the Australian, South African, Japan, Spanish, Hong Kong and Scottish opens.
This builds on the “Open Qualifying Series” the R&A created in 2013 to attract players from every continent where golf is played, but while Augusta will only invite the winners, the British Open often provides three or four spots for the leading finishers.
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“The Masters Tournament has long recognised the significance of having international representation among its invitees,” chair Fred Ridley said.
“We, along with the R&A, have a shared commitment to the global game and are proud to work together.”
PGA of Australia chief executive Gavin Kirkman said it was “a landmark moment”.
“It demonstrates the global standing of the [Australian Open] and the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, which continues to play an important role in world golf,” he said.
The Masters has the smallest field of the four majors and prefers it to stay under 100 players to enhance their experience.
Ridley said in April that the Masters looks at its qualifications each year, saying international events “will be part of our examination”.
The Masters has made a few tweaks over the years, such as adding the US college champion to the field, but this is the first significant change since 2013, when it did away with the top 30 from the PGA Tour money list and reduced from the top 16 to the top 12 leading finishers in the previous Masters.
The men’s Australian Open will this year be played from December 4-7 at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club for the first time since 1991, with 2013 and 2025 Master winners Adam Scott and Rory McIlroy headlining the field.
“We’re delighted to have the strength of the Masters supporting the national opens,” R&A championships director Johnnie Cole-Hamilton said.
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“It sends a really powerful message to the globe about these pathways to our championships, and it shines a light on these tours.”
The move also creates an opportunity for players from Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
The R&A created an exemption category for the leading LIV player this year, but Augusta National did not, preferring to use its special invitation if it feels someone should be invited.
But LIV players, while suspended by the PGA Tour, can enter these national opens to chase spots to the Open and Masters.
AP/ABC
