Winning in Madrid will again open the doors of Augusta National. And also those of St Andrews. The Open de España will keep that extraordinary added prize that allows its champion to earn a place in two of the four Majors on the calendar. The invitation to the Masters of 2027 is already official: Augusta National published its qualifying criteria this Monday and the winner of the Spanish tournament is once again expressly listed among the chosen. This fulfils the news revealed by Ten Golf two months ago, just after the conclusion of the Open Championship.
The second part of the spoils will also arrive. According to Ten Golf, the champion of the Open de España will also have a place in the 2027 Open Championship. Official confirmation from the R&A will be known tomorrow, Tuesday 22 September, when the body publishes the schedule of its qualifying events and the list of exemptions for the championship. This was announced in the joint statement released this Monday with Augusta National. Remember: the champion will go to the Masters and the highest finisher who is not already exempt will go to the Open. If the winner of the Open de España was already qualified for Augusta, that place will be lost.
A tremendous incentive for the event to be held from 8 to 11 October at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. For a player who does not yet have their place secured in those two events, victory can change far more than a season’s record: it can also change the outlook for the next one.
The Open de España retains its place at Augusta
In the case of the Masters, the confirmation is in black and white. Category 20 of the criteria published for 2027 corresponds to the current champion of the Open de España, with an invitation valid for one year. The Spanish tournament thus remains in the group of six national opens that grant access to Augusta, alongside those of Scotland, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia and South Africa. Japan is the only one not on the DP World Tour schedule.
It is therefore not a new route, but the continuation of an initiative that Augusta National and the R&A launched for the 2026 editions of their respective championships. The purpose is to strengthen qualification opportunities from different professional circuits and to recognise the value of the major national opens. Madrid retains its position on that map.
“The Masters has a long tradition of assembling an international field, so we welcome this opportunity to highlight the global nature of golf”, explains Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and of the Masters. “Today’s announcement reinforces our shared commitment with the R&A to provide routes for players from around the world to earn a place in the Masters and in the Open”.
And this time the destination will be the Old Course
The Open’s reward also has a special attraction in 2027. The championship will return to the Old Course at St Andrews, which will host it for the 31st time. The home of golf, the setting for that unforgettable celebration by Seve Ballesteros in 1984. It is not just any destination.
The R&A has indicated that the 2027 Open Qualifying Series will consist of 19 tournaments in 15 countries. This system has been in operation since 2013 and allows a place in the Major to be obtained through events from different tours around the world. The full details will be known this Tuesday.
“National opens have a history of prestige in this sport and their inclusion in the Open Qualifying Series reinforces the championship’s tradition of being open to the best players from around the world”, says Mark Darbon, chief executive of the R&A. “Working alongside Augusta National Golf Club allows us to continue our shared commitment to creating real opportunities for players from around the world to reach their goal of competing in the Open and in the Masters”.
The Masters will stage its 91st edition during the week of 5 to 11 April 2027, while the week of the 155th Open will run from 11 to 18 July. Two dates to mark in red. Two destinations that the next champion of the Open de España will be able to start preparing for from Madrid. Last year the Englishman Marco Penge secured his place.
