The Open 2027 expands global qualification: 19 events in 15 countries, up from 15 in 13

More qualifying events on the road to St Andrews

In its 18 October 2026 qualification overview, The R&A states that the Open Qualifying Series (OQS) for the 155th Open spans 19 tournaments in 15 countries. Its published 2026 championship announcement listed 15 events in 13 countries. That is an increase of four events and two countries in the governing body's announced global pathway.

This is a competition-entry framework, not an amendment to the universal Rules of Golf or the World Handicap System (WHS). It applies to The 155th Open at St Andrews in July 2027, with qualifying already under way from September 2026. The announcement date must not be confused with the date on which each qualifying event takes place.

The winner is not always the player who takes the place

An OQS event allocates a specified number of places to the highest-placed finishers not already exempt from qualifying for The Open. The published tracker also specifies making the cut where applicable. The number of places varies by tournament. If a winner already has an exemption, they do not consume an additional OQS spot; the place goes to the next eligible finisher under that event's conditions. Therefore, an event offering three spots does not necessarily send the top three names on the leaderboard.

Key remaining routes and places

The R&A's published tracker, checked on 26 October 2026, lists these scheduled opportunities:

• Australian Open, 3–6 December 2026: three places.
• New Zealand Open and Argentina Open, 25–28 February 2027: one each.
• South African Open, 4–7 March: three.
• Arnold Palmer Invitational, 18–21 March: one.
• Singapore Open, 15–18 April: two.
• KOLON Korea Open, 20–23 May: one, for the best eligible non-exempt finisher.
• Mizuno Open, 27–30 May: two.
• the Memorial Tournament, 3–6 June: one.
• RBC Canadian Open, 10–13 June: three.
• Amgen Irish Open and John Deere Classic, 1–4 July: one each.
• Genesis Scottish Open, 8–11 July: three.

The R&A's overview says 19 events, but its detailed online schedule currently itemises 17 stops. The materials reviewed do not reconcile that difference, so we do not invent two missing events or portray the displayed list as complete. Players should consult the live tracker for confirmed event-specific conditions.

Four qualifiers have already been named

The first four stops, held from September through October 2026, have produced Angel Hidalgo at the FedEx Open de France, Grant Forrest at the Open de España, Yusaku Hosono at the Japan Open and John Catlin at the Link Hong Kong Open, as shown on The R&A's official qualification tracker. A later update to the list of qualified players should not be represented as a newly adopted rule.

Other routes remain in place

OQS is only one route into The Open. Players may qualify via designated major-championship or rankings exemptions, the Regional and Final Qualifying stages, or the separate Last-Chance Qualifier during championship week. Every route has its own eligibility requirements. Playing an OQS event does not itself confer a place at St Andrews.

Official sources: The R&A's 18 October 2026 overview; OQS event calendar; live qualifying and exemption tracker. The comparison uses The R&A's 22 September 2025 announcement for The Open 2026.

Image: archive photograph of the Old Course at St Andrews, not a photo of the 2027 event. Bahnfrend / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, unmodified.