ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – The R&A has announced the qualification pathways for The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale, taking place July 12-19, 2026.
Once again, the RBC Canadian Open will be part of The Open’s qualification series, with three (3) places being awarded to the leading three players who are not already exempt and make the cut. The 2026 RBC Canadian Open will be taking place at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) from June 10-14, 2026.
Each year, international pathways are provided for players to qualify for golf’s original championship through prestigious professional tour events played around the world.
The Open Qualifying Series will begin in October and players will be able to qualify for The 154th Open through 15 events in 13 countries being played on the PGA TOUR, Korn Ferry Tour, DP World Tour, Asian Tour, KPGA Tour, Japan Golf Tour, Sunshine Tour and Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
On the PGA TOUR, places will be available via the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, the RBC Canadian Open, while the Visa Argentina Open presented by Macro in South America will also offer a spot.
Please click here to view the full list of exemptions for The 154th Open.
Mark Darbon, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “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.
“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.”
Regional and Final Qualifying events, which are open to professional and amateur golfers worldwide who meet the entry criteria, will take place at venues around Great Britain and Ireland in June ahead of the Championship.
A new Last-Chance Qualifier will be played at Royal Birkdale on Monday, 13 July. The field of 12 players competing for the final place in the Championship will be determined using an approach which complements the existing qualification criteria for The Open.
The Open is golf’s original championship. Played since 1860 on iconic links golf courses, it is the sport’s most international major championship with qualifying events on every continent. For one week each year, the pursuit of the famous Claret Jug trophy is the focus of the sporting world, followed globally by millions of fans.
Please click here to view the full schedule of events.
