The Open 2027: R&A clarifies past-champion age limits as LIV exemption remains under review

The R&A has published the official qualification and exemption pathways for the 155th Open at St Andrews in July 2027. One detail matters particularly to former champions: the age threshold depends on when they won the championship. These are entry conditions for a specific major, not changes to the Rules of Golf or the World Handicap System (WHS).

Two different age thresholds. Open champions whose victories came up to and including 2023 are eligible under the past-champions category if they are 60 or younger on 18 July 2027. For champions from 2024 onward, the corresponding category specifies 55 or younger on that date. The published exemption list also separately identifies the champions from 2016 through 2026. That is why the shorthand “all former champions enter until age 60” is misleading: the relevant category and victory year both matter.

Other routes into the field. Exemptions also recognize certain recent major winners, highly placed finishers at previous Opens and players who meet specified professional ranking criteria. Examples include the top 30 in the final 2026 FedExCup Points List, top 25 in the final 2026 Race to Dubai and top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking in the specified week of 2027. Each category uses its own assessment date. Future ranking results should not be presented as already settled.

Amateur status is decisive for certain entries. Some exemptions earned through leading amateur championships and the World Amateur Golf Ranking award apply only while the player remains an amateur on 18 July 2027. A qualifying amateur victory does not override this requirement. Anyone considering turning professional should first check the exact exemption category attached to their place.

What about LIV Golf? In its 18 October 2026 announcement, The R&A said the potential exemption based on the LIV Golf Order of Merit remains under review pending confirmation of the 2027 LIV schedule. This is not an approved exemption. Nor does it amount to a blanket ban on LIV players: other established qualification routes remain available to players who satisfy their conditions.

A final qualifying opportunity. Regional and Final Qualifying are due in summer 2027, with a separate Last-Chance Qualifier at St Andrews on 12 July. The R&A says the method for establishing that last event's field will complement existing qualification criteria. Until further detail is issued, it would be wrong to promise an open entry route to every golfer.

What competitors should check. The key questions are the year of a past victory, age on the precise assessment date, amateur or professional status, ranking cutoffs and the conditions of each qualifying event. Further exemptions may still be announced. This update explains the rules for entry to The Open 2027; it does not modify how golf is played or handicaps are calculated.

Sources: The R&A's official qualification and exemption tracker; The Open announcement dated 18 October 2026.

Image: archival photograph of Swilcan Bridge at the Old Course, St Andrews, taken on 4 September 2019; it does not show the 2027 championship. © Eddy23 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, unaltered.