New tournament will see 12 golfers battle for final place at 2026 Open Championship
The St Andrews-based R&A has announced that the push to secure the final place in The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale next year will see 12 players given the opportunity to compete in a Last-Chance Qualifier on Monday, July 13.
The R&A posted: “This is a new event being introduced as part of a series of enhancements intended to elevate the experience of attending The Open by providing fans with drama and excitement as golfers compete to earn a single, coveted spot in golf’s original Championship.
"The strokeplay event will start on Monday morning and be contested over 18 holes at Royal Birkdale with golfers earning their place in the field based on eligibility criteria which are consistent with the existing qualification process for The Open.
"The field will be determined in order using the following criteria: The leading two non-exempt players in the Official World Golf Ranking as published on Monday, July 6; The runner-up in The Amateur Championship, provided they are still an amateur on Monday, July 13; Players who missed out having been in a play-off at Final Qualifying; Players who finished one position behind those who secured a place at Final Qualifying; 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.”
The Open will run from July 16 to 19 at the course in Southport, Merseyside.