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Open Championship Qualifying Criteria Broken Down

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Updated February 13, 2025
Open championship scoreboard 2021
  • DESCRIPTION
    Open Championship scoreboard 2021
  • SOURCE
    David Cannon Collection/R&A
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    Getty Images License

Playing in the British Open is among the crowning achievements for any amateur or professional golfer. The oldest championship in golf, however, is not easy to reach as a competitor. As an "Open" championship, there are numerous amateur and professionals can qualify for the British Open. Here’s an overview of who qualifies for the British Open and the path to get there.

Overview of the Championship

The British Open, formally known as the Open Championship, is contested in July each year and is the oldest championship in golf. The inaugural British Open took place in 1860.

The championship rotates between nine host courses: The Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie Golf Links, Muirfield, Turnberry, Royal Troon Golf Club, Royal St. George’s Golf Club, Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, and Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

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What Are the Courses on the British Open Rotation?

Open Qualifying Series

Designated tournaments from professional tours around the world -- including the PGA Tour, European Tour, Sunshine Tour, and Asian Tour -- make up the Open Qualifying Series each year. Players who aren't otherwise qualified for the Open Championship can earn a bid with a high finish in any one of those events.

Each OQS event has a designated number of spots reserved for players who finish in among a pre-determined position. For example, in the 2019 Emirates Australian Open, three British Open spots were available to players who finished among the top 10 and weren't already qualified.

In a typical year, 15-17 events will be designated as OQS events, yielding around 45 spots in the upcoming British Open.

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Regional & Final Qualifying

Another route to the British Open is through the eight, 18-hole Regional Qualifiers and four 36-hole Final Qualifiers played at host courses throughout Great Britain and Ireland, mostly in June ahead of the upcoming Open Championship.

Similar to U.S. Open qualifying, a select number of spots in the Final Qualifiers are assigned to each Regional Qualifier, and those players join the players who have already secured spots directly in the Final Qualifiers. The top three finishers in each of the four Final Qualifiers earn a spot in the Open Championship.

Amateur golfers who join the professionals attempting to qualify must have a World Handicap System handicap index of 0.0 or better.

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Making the U.S. Open: Qualifying and Exemptions Explained

British Open Exemptions

A large share of the British Open field is made up of exemptions, and there are 24 of those. In 2025, the R&A added an exemption to give the top LIV player not already qualified a spot in the Open Championship, if that person is in the top five of the current LIV standings.

Here is the complete list of Open Championship exemptions.

  1. The Open Champions through 2024 aged 60 or under 
  2. The Open Champions from 2024 aged 55 or under
  3. The last 10 Open Champions
  4. Top 10 plus ties for 10th place in previous Open Championship
  5. The first 50 players on the OWGR for Week 21, 2025
  6. First 25 in the previous season’s Final Race to Dubai Rankings for 2024
  7. The last three BMW PGA Championship winners
  8. First 5 DP World Tour members and ties, not otherwise exempt, in the top 20 of the Race to Dubai Rankings on completion of the 2025 BMW International
  9. The Masters Tournament Champions for 2020-2025
  10. The PGA Champions for 2019-2025
  11. The US Open Champions for 2020-2025
  12. Top 30 players from the previous season’s Final FedEx Cup Points List
  13. The last three PLAYERS Champions
  14. First 5 PGA TOUR members, plus ties, not exempt in the top 20 of the current season PGA TOUR FedExCup Points List on completion of the 2025 Travelers Championship.
  15. The first player and anyone tying for that place, not otherwise exempt, in the top 5 of the current season’s LIV Golf Individual Season Standings on completion of LIV Golf Dallas.
  16. The 2024 Olympic Men's Golf Gold Medallist
  17. The 118th VISA Open de Argentina 2025 Champion
  18. The first 5 players on the current season’s Federations Ranking List as of closing date
  19. The previous year’s Japan Open Champion
  20. The previous year’s Senior Open Champion
  21. The previous year’s US Amateur Champion*
  22. The previous year’s Mark H McCormack Medal (Men's WORLD AMATEUR GOLF RANKING) winner*
  23. The previous year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion*
  24. The current year’s Latin America Amateur Champion*
  25. The current year’s Africa Amateur Champion 2025*
  26. The current year’s Amateur Champion*
  27. The current year’s European Amateur Champion*
  28. The current year’s Open Amateur Series winner*

*Must retain amateur status to be exempt