For the second consecutive year, the winner of the Open de España presented by Madrid, which takes place at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid from 8 to 11 October, will receive an invitation to play in the Masters Tournament and The Open as the result of an agreement with Augusta National Golf Club and the R&A.
The initiative, which also extends to the winners of other hugely traditional and prestigious national opens, was designed to bring more renowned international golfers to the fields of both the Masters and The Open in order to add to the already legendary aura of the two majors, which are so highly regarded in the world of golf.
The initiative will notably elevate an already enticing Open de España presented by Madrid, and help increase the quality and prestige of its fields in the short, medium and long term.
Both Augusta National Golf Club and the R&A have been positive in their feedback on the agreement based on the joint experiences of the two organisations in creating qualification mechanisms in parallel to the World Rankings, guaranteeing in both cases official access routes that further elevate the quality of the fields in both tournaments, in turn bolstering the future of elite professional golf.
The qualification stage of The Open has been in operation since 2013, offering players a path to The Open through events of recognised prestige. Specifically, players will now be able to qualify for the 155th Open by means of 19 events held in 15 different countries.
Mark Darbon, Chief Executive of the R&A, said that “the Open brings together the very best golfers from around the world to compete in the Championship each year thanks to the strong global pathways we provide. National opens have a proud history in the sport and their inclusion in The Open Qualifying Series builds upon the Championship’s tradition of being open to the best players from around the world. Working alongside Augusta National Golf Club allows us to continue our shared commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for players worldwide to achieve their goal of competing in The Open and the Masters”.
