At long last, the R&A has released the qualifying criteria for the 150th edition of The Open Championship in 2022. Although it feels like it was delayed, it actually wasn’t long ago when the R&A confirmed the criteria right around the second week of December regularly. After the considerable, painstaking attention was required weekly to customize the 2021 field (because the 2020 edition was canceled), this season’s bonus is a return to the procedure of revealing all criteria at once. All familiar (read: expected) criteria has been renewed since the last pre-pandemic staging in 2019. The Open Qualifying Series underwent a few adjustments, but it’s always been fluid given how tours’ schedules change every season. The only notable pivot concerns the automatic qualifier from the Asian Tour. In place of its season-ending Order of Merit leader (that will not be granted an exemption with just eight tournaments contributing to a combined 2020-21-22 season), the winner of the Asia-Pacific Open Diamond Cup Golf will receive it instead. As noted in the section dedicated to The Open in REMAINING QUALIFYING CRITERIA below, the date for that tournament is “TBD.” Like all projections for which the exact date to fulfill exemptions is unknown, it’s slotted in the area of when it’s expected to be contested, which is its most recent regular date in May. More than six dozen golfers have been added to the alphabetical list. Because former Open winners who remain eligible but who haven’t appeared in recent editions have been known to give it one more go at St. Andrews specifically, it wouldn’t be surprising if 1997 champion Justin Leonard returned to the event for the first time in six years, but he and Ben Curtis (2003) remain omitted. The last exemptions to be distributed in 2021 will be determined by the final edition of the Official World Golf Ranking. Once it’s released, the top 50 will qualify for the Masters. Currently, the following 10 golfers are not yet exempt into the major: Tyrrell Hatton (22nd in the OWGR), Matt Fitzpatrick (24th), Matthew Wolff (31st), Lee Westwood (38th), Mackenzie Hughes (39th), Tommy Fleetwood (40th), Ryan Palmer (47th), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (48th), Takumi Kanaya (49th), Min Woo Lee (50th). The first three in order outside the top 50 and not yet exempt into the Masters are Ian Poulter (53rd), Cameron Tringale (54th) and Carlos Ortiz (55th). NOTE: Golfers are omitted if they recently haven’t competed in majors for which they are eligible (e.g. The Open Championship=Justin Leonard). TPC = THE PLAYERS Championship MAS = Masters PGA = PGA Championship US = U.S. Open OPEN = The Open Championship Recent Additions TPC — none MAS — none PGA — none US — none OPEN — (all currently exempt have been added below) REMAINING QUALIFYING CRITERIA Criteria are listed in chronological order where possible. Best estimates are given but all are subject to change. THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP (TPC) @ TPC Sawgrass (Stadium) – March 10-13 • Winners of PGA TOUR events thru the final week before THE PLAYERS. • Top 10 in the FedExCup at the conclusion of The Honda Classic (Feb. 27). • Top 50 of Official World Golf Ranking (Feb. 28). • If necessary to complete the field of 144, golfers outside the Top 10 in the FedExCup at the conclusion of the Honda Classic on Feb. 27 will gain entry in order of position. MASTERS (MAS) @ Augusta National Golf Club – April 7-10 • Winners of PGA TOUR events that award full FedExCup points allocation for the TOUR Championship. • Top 50 of Official World Golf Ranking (Dec. 31). • Winner of the Latin America Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (Jan. 23). • Top 50 of Official World Golf Ranking (March 28). • Special invitations to international players per Masters Tournament Committee as its discretion. PGA CHAMPIONSHIP (PGA) @ Southern Hills Country Club – May 19-22 • Winners of PGA TOUR events through the final week before the 2022 PGA Championship. • Top 20 from PGA Professional National Championship (April 20). • Top 70 from special money list (i.e., “PGA Championship Points”) on PGA TOUR from 2021 AT&T Byron Nelson thru 2022 Wells Fargo Championship (May 8). • *All 2021 Ryder Cup members inside Top 100 of Official World Golf Ranking (May 9). • Special exemptions per PGA of America. (This likely will include all golfers from Top 100 of Official World Golf Ranking on May 9.) • If necessary to complete the field of 156, golfers outside Top 70 from special money list (three lines above) will gain entry in order of position. U.S. OPEN (US) @ The Country Club – June 16-19 • Winners of multiple PGA TOUR events that award full FedExCup points allocation since the 2021 U.S. Open. • Winner of THE PLAYERS (March 13). • Winner of the Masters (April 10). • Winner of the PGA Championship (May 22). • Top 60 of Official World Golf Ranking (May 23). • Sectional qualifying (late May-early June). • Top 60 of Official World Golf Ranking (June 6). • Special exemptions per the USGA. THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP (OPEN) @ St. Andrews Links (Old Course) – July 14-17 • Top 4, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 12 at the SMBC Singapore Open (Jan. 23). • Winner of the Latin America Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (Jan. 23). • Money leader on the 2021-22 Sunshine Tour (TBD). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (March 6). • Winner of THE PLAYERS (March 13). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the New Zealand Open (April 3). • Winner of the Masters (April 10). • Money leader on the 2021-22 Australasian Tour (TBD). • Winner of the Asia-Pacific Open Diamond Cup Golf (TBD). • Winner of the PGA Championship (May 22). • Top 4, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 12 at the Mizuno Open (May 29). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Dutch Open (May 29). • Highest-ranked, not otherwise exempt, from the Order of Merit on the Japan Golf Tour at the conclusion of the Japan Golf Tour Championship (TBD). • Top 50 of Official World Golf Ranking (TBD). • Top 2, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 8 at the RBC Canadian Open (June 12). • Winner of the British Amateur, if still an amateur (June 18). • Winner of the U.S. Open (June 19). • Winner of the European Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (June 25). • Top 2, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 8 at the KOLON Korea Open (June 26). • Top 5 and ties, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 20 in the DP World Tour Rankings at the conclusion of the BMW International Open (June 26). • Top 5 and ties, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 20 in the FedExCup at the conclusion of the Travelers Championship (June 26). • Final Qualifying. Top 3 at each of four sites: Fairmont St. Andrews, Hollinwell (Notts), Prince’s, St. Annes Old Links (June 28). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Irish Open (July 3). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the John Deere Classic (July 3). • Top 3, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 10 at the Genesis Scottish Open (July 10). • Top finisher, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 5 at the Barbasol Championship (July 10).
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