Tournament organisers of The Open release full details of "Last Chance Qualifier"
Tournament organisers of The Open have announced the criteria for the Last Chance Qualifier ahead of golf's oldest major in 2026.
Tournament organisers of The Open have announced details of the inaugural Last Chance Qualifier.
The R&A said 12 players will be given the opportunity to battle for the final place in the field when the major heads at Royal Birkdale next July.
The new event will be contested over 18 holes of stroke play at the Southport links a week prior to the 155th Open.
The field will be based on eligibility criteria which are "consistent" with the existing qualification process, according to the R&A.
Here's the qualifying criteria:
Category | Criteria |
World Golf Ranking | The leading two non-exempt players in the Official World Golf Ranking as published on Monday 6 July. |
Amateur Championship | The runner-up in The Amateur Championship, provided they are still an amateur on Monday 13 July. |
Final Qualifying Play-off | Players who missed out having been in a play-off at Final Qualifying. |
Final Qualifying Next-in-Line | Players who finished one position behind those who secured a place at Final Qualifying. |
Open Qualifying Series Tie | Players who were tied for a qualifying place in various events included as part of The Open Qualifying Series (excluding Scotland) but did not qualify due to a lower position in the Official World Golf Ranking. |
Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, chief championships officer at the R&A, said: "The Last Chance Qualifier will provide fans with the opportunity to watch high quality, competitive golf which will generate drama and intrigue as players compete to earn the final place in the Championship.
"It is an exciting addition to The Open and fans still have time to secure tickets to attend the Last-Chance Qualifier via the official website.
"We have also developed eligibility criteria for the Last Chance Qualifier which stays true to the traditions of The Open and our qualification process.
"Every golfer who tees it up at Royal Birkdale will have earned the right to do so and we look forward to seeing which player emerges from the field in the Last-Chance Qualifier to seal their place in the Championship."
Scottie Scheffler is the reigning Open champion.
The 29-year-old fired a final-round 68 at Royal Portrush in July to win by four shots and capture the claret jug for the very first time.
The American also moved one step closer to completing the career grand slam.
The 2026 Open Championship will be played over 16-19 July at Royal Birkdale.
Jordan Spieth was the champion golfer of the year the last time The Open was stage at Royal Birkdale in 2017.
Ben Smith joined the GolfMagic team in September 2021, initially as a content executive.
These days, he assumes the position of content manager.
