The Scottish Open is one of six tournaments whose winner will receive an invitation to The Masters as part of a change to qualification criteria.

Effective immediately, the champions at the Scottish Open, Spanish Open, Japan Open, Hong Kong Open, Australia Open and South Africa Open will now earn entry to the Augusta showpiece, along with The Open.

The move builds on The Open Qualifying Series, which has been in operation since 2013.

“We take great pride in the range of qualification routes we offer to players around the world through The Open Qualifying Series,” said Mark Darbon, chief executive of The R&A.

“We share the same goal as Augusta National to offer places in both The Open and the Masters to players competing in national opens and by doing so to help to showcase and strengthen our sport in those regions.

“This creates an outstanding opportunity for players in all parts of the world to qualify and we firmly believe this will continue to enrich the quality of the fields in both major championships.”

The 2026 Masters will be the 90th playing of the famous contest, and is scheduled for April 6 – 12, where Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy will defend his title that saw him clinch a career grand slam.

Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, added: “We, along with The R&A, have a shared commitment to the global game and are proud to work together.

“Today’s announcement strengthens our organisations’ collective vision of rewarding top talent around the world who rise to the top of historic national open championships.

“We hope this formal recognition shines a bright light on these players and the events they will represent at the Masters and The Open, beginning next year.”