The 2025 Open Qualifying Series is well underway ahead of Royal Portrush later this year, and several big names have already booked their place at the 153rd Open Championship.
Marc Leishman, Corey Conners and Patrick Reed are among those who were not certain of a spot at the season's final men's Major but have taken steps to successfully address that via one of 13 different events.
It is possible for players all over the world to appear at Royal Portrush in July, given tournaments on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia and Japan Golf Tour all make up part of the Open Qualifying Series.
The ISPS Handa Australian Open was the first tournament in the sequence, at which three pro golfers confirmed their respective appearances via high finishes. American, Ryggs Johnston won the Stonehaven Cup from Australia's Curtis Luck and LIV golfer, Leishman.
Former convict, Ryan Peake followed suit via an emotional victory at his home Open in New Zealand on the same weekend as Dylan Naidoo, Marco Penge and Darren Fichardt all qualified in South Africa.
Conners' made sure of his place at The Open after coming third at the Arnold Palmer Invitational before Carlos Ortiz, Reed, and Jason Kokrak all made it in through the Asian Tour's International Series Macau.
Another Asian Tour event, the Korea Open, presented Sadom Kaewkanjana with a path back to The Open Championship - three years after the former LIV player had surprised plenty with his T11th result at St Andrews.
The remainder of the season contains seven more chances to qualify for The Open, with the last opportunity arriving in early July at the Genesis Scottish Open.
Each tournament offers between one and three exemptions to the leading players who make the cut. Meanwhile, the R&A's Regional and Final Qualifying dates also make up part of the Open Qualifying Series.
In addition, the LIV Golf League has been presented with a direct pathway to The Open as well. The leading non-exempt player inside the top-five of the season's individual standings after LIV Golf Dallas will lock down a place at Royal Portrush between July 17-20.
Announcing the news, the R&A's CEO, Mark Darbon said: “The Open is a global championship for the best men’s golfers and each year we review our exemptions to ensure that we offer pathways into the Championship based on results achieved on the leading professional tours.
“We acknowledge that players competing in LIV Golf should also have the opportunity to secure places in The Open through its individual season standings as well as existing pathways.
“We are proud to offer a wide range of opportunities to qualify globally and look forward to seeing which golfers will emerge to take their place at Royal Portrush in July.”
Other methods of qualifying for the final men's Major of the year include sitting inside the world's top-50 in the weeks before the championship begins, lifting any one of the four Majors within the past five years, and finishing among the top-10 and ties at the previous edition.
Below is the full Open Qualifying Series schedule for 2025 and the updated list of players who gained exemptions through it.
OPEN QUALIFYING SERIES 2025
Date |
Tour |
Event |
Qualifiers |
|---|---|---|---|
Nov 28 - Dec 1 |
DP World Tour/PGA Tour of Australasia |
Australian Open |
Ryggs Johnston, Curtis Luck, Marc Leishman |
Feb 27 - Mar 2 |
Asian Tour/PGA Tour of Australasia |
New Zealand Open |
Ryan Peake |
Feb 27 - Mar 2 |
DP World Tour/Sunshine Tour |
South African Open Championship |
Dylan Naidoo, Marco Penge, Darren Fichardt |
March 6-9 |
PGA Tour |
Arnold Palmer Invitational |
Corey Conners |
March 20-23 |
Asian Tour |
International Series Macau |
Carlos Ortiz, Patrick Reed, Jason Kokrak |
May 22-25 |
Asian Tour |
Korea Open |
Sadom Kaewkanjana |
May 29 - June 1 |
Japan Golf Tour |
Mizuno Open |
Three players |
May 29 - June 1 |
PGA Tour |
The Memorial Tournament |
One player |
June 5-8 |
PGA Tour |
Canadian Open |
Three players |
June 23 |
The R&A |
Regional Qualifying |
Multiple make it to Final Qualifying |
June 26-29 |
DP World Tour |
Italian Open |
Two players |
July 1 |
The R&A |
Final Qualifying |
Minimum of 16 |
July 10-13 |
DP World Tour/PGA Tour |
Scottish Open |
Three players |
