The fourth and final Major of the year is the only one played outside the US, with some of the most famous courses in Scotland, England and Northern Ireland hosting the world's oldest golf tournament through the years.
The good news for amateurs and pros is that it offers more ways to qualify than any of the other three Majors.
In keeping with the other events, winning a previous edition offers the best route to qualifying. Any winner up to the 2023 tournament is guaranteed their place until they turn 60. However, from the 2024 edition, that reduced to 55, meaning Brian Harman is the last to be grandfathered in until the higher age thanks to his win in the Royal Liverpool rain in 2023.
Brian Harman was the last player to guarantee a place in The Open until the age of 60
If that wasn't enough, there is also a 10-year rule, guaranteeing a champion an exemption for the next decade regardless of his age at the time of his win.
Winning another Major also confirms a place for the next five years, while finishing in the top 10 and ties of The Open also awards a place for the following year.
Another exemption consistent with the other Majors is a place for three years for the winner of The Players Championship. Like the US Open, there's also an exemption for the winner of the previous year's BMW PGA Championship.
World ranking also plays a part, with the top 50 in the rankings by week 21 in 2025 making the Royal Portrush tournament, while the top 25 in the Race to Dubai rankings at the end of 2024 qualify too.
The Race to Dubai rankings also come into play immediately before the Major, with the top five and ties in the top 20 not otherwise exempt after the 2025 BMW International all qualifying.
A similar rule applies to the top five and ties of the FedEx Cup points list after the 2025 Travelers Championship, while the top 30 from the final FedEx Cup points list of 2024 also guarantee a place.
The men's Olympic golf medallist also qualifies, although in 2025 that applies to Scottie Scheffler, who was already safely in the field via several other routes by the time he won at Le Golf National.
Like the US Open, the 2025 event also offers a direct pathway for LIV golfers for the first time, with the top player not otherwise exempt in the top five of the 2025 Individual Standings after LIV Golf Dallas qualifying.
There are also several ways to qualify as an amateur, with the winners of The Amateur, US Amateur, Asia-Pacific Amateur, Latin America Amateur, Africa Amateur, European Amateur and the Open Amateur Series all booking a place, along with the recipient of the Mark H. McCormack Medal, which is given to the player finishing top of the World Amateur Golf Ranking at the end of 2024. One stipulation is they all need to retain their amateur status.
Winners of the VISA Open de Argentina and the Japan Open also qualify, along with the first five players on the 2025 Federations Ranking List at the closing date.
KJ Choi won the 2024 Senior Open at Carnoustie, and that gives him a place too.
KJ Choi won the 2024 Senior Open
Players can also make it to the tournament via the Open Qualifying Series, which awards places to those with various high finishes in a range of events around the world.
In 2024, 44 golfers qualified via that route. Among them was LIV Golf's Joaquin Niemann after he won the ISPS Handa Australian Open. Another high-profile qualifier was Adam Hadwin for his finish of third in the Memorial Tournament, behind Scheffler and Collin Morikawa, who were already exempt.
For 2025, 13 events offer places, the first of which was the Australian Open, which saw Ryggs Johnston, Curtis Luck and Marc Leishman qualify. The last event in the Open Qualifying Series will be the Genesis Scottish Open, which also offers three places.
Ryggs Johnston will be at The Open via its Open Qualifying Series
If all else fails, there are also Final Qualifiers, with events taking place across four venues in 2025 for amateurs and pros alike for the chance of booking a place in the final Major of the year less than three weeks before it begins.
Below is the list of exemption categories for The Open per the official website.
How To Qualify For The Open
- The Open Champions aged 60 or under on 20 July 2025 (for all Champions up until 2024)
- The Open Champions aged 55 or under on 20 July 2025 (for all Champions from 2024)
- The Open Champions for 2014-2024
- Top 10 and ties in The 152nd Open at Royal Troon in 2024
- The first 50 players on the OWGR for Week 21, 2025
- First 25 in the final Race to Dubai Rankings for 2024
- BMW PGA Championship winners for 2022-2024
- First 5 DP World Tour members and any DP World Tour members tying for 5th place, not otherwise exempt, in the top 20 of the Race to Dubai Rankings on completion of the 2025 BMW International
- The Masters winners 2020-2025
- The PGA Championship winners 2019-2025
- The US Open winner 2020-2025
- Top 30 players from the final 2024 FedEx Cup Points List
- The Players Champions 2023-2025
- First 5 PGA Tour members and any PGA Tour members tying for 5th place, not exempt in the top 20 of the PGA Tour FedExCup Points List for 2025 on completion of the 2025 Travelers Championship.
- The first player and anyone tying for that place, not otherwise exempt, in the top 5 of the 2025 LIV Golf Individual Season Standings on completion of LIV Golf Dallas.
- The 2024 Olympic Men's Golf Gold Medallist
- The 118th VISA Open de Argentina 2025 Champion
- The first 5 players on the 2025 Federations Ranking List as of closing date
- The Japan Open Champion for 2024
- The Senior Open Champion for 2024
- The US Amateur Champion for 2024
- The Mark H McCormack Medal winner for 2024
- The Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion 2024
- The Latin America Amateur Champion 2025
- The Africa Amateur Champion 2025
- The Amateur Champion for 2025
- The European Amateur Champion for 2025
- The Open Amateur Series winner 2025
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