The 2026 Masters Tournament is still more than 200 days away, but anticipation is already building. On August 26, Augusta National Golf Club announced adjustments to its qualification system, offering a clearer picture of who will be competing next April.
The biggest shift came through a joint announcement with The R&A. Both majors will now grant automatic invitations to winners of several historic national opens, including the Scottish Open, Spanish Open, Japan Open, Hong Kong Open, Australian Open, and South African Open. This expansion highlights Augusta’s ongoing commitment to global representation.
“The Masters Tournament has long recognized the significance of international players among its invitees,” said Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National. “This change strengthens our vision of rewarding top talent worldwide who succeed on some of golf’s most historic stages.”
So far, only the Scottish Open champion—Chris Gotterup, crowned in July—has booked his spot through this new pathway.
Notable Adjustment to PGA Tour Qualification
Another update impacts PGA Tour winners. Going forward, only those who capture events awarding FedEx Cup points toward the Tour Championship will earn Masters invitations. As a result, victories in the FedEx Fall schedule will no longer guarantee entry.
Current Field Projection
Based on past champions, PGA Tour winners, and those who qualified for the 2025 Tour Championship, 80 players have already secured invitations, with around 64 expected to tee it up. This list includes stars such as:
- Rory McIlroy (Masters, U.S. Open, Players, Tour Championship qualifier)
- Scottie Scheffler (Masters, PGA, Memorial, Open Championship, BMW winner, Tour Championship qualifier)
- Brooks Koepka (PGA Champion)
- Jon Rahm (Masters, U.S. Open Champion)
- Hideki Matsuyama (Masters Champion, Tour Championship qualifier)
- Justin Rose (FedEx St. Jude winner, Tour Championship qualifier)
- Chris Gotterup (Scottish Open Champion, Tour Championship qualifier)
Past champions such as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott, Bubba Watson, and Angel Cabrera are also eligible, though several older winners are unlikely to compete.
Qualification Pathways for 2026
Players can earn an invitation through a variety of criteria, including:
- Winning a Masters (lifetime exemption)
- Winning the U.S. Open, The Open, or PGA Championship (five years)
- Winning The Players Championship (three years)
- Winning designated PGA Tour events leading into the Tour Championship
- Winning one of the newly recognized national opens
- Ranking inside the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking at the end of 2025 or the week prior to the tournament
In addition, Augusta National reserves the right to extend international invitations at its discretion.
Looking Ahead
With more than eight months to go, the field will continue to grow as players seize new qualifying opportunities. For now, golf fans can already circle their calendars for April 2026, when the best in the game—both proven champions and rising international stars—arrive at Augusta National for the season’s first major.
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