The 2022 Irish Open will be one of 16 events in 11 countries to offer qualifying spots in The 150th Open at St Andrews through The Open Qualifying Series.

There will be three places up for grabs for the leading three players (not otherwise exempt) who finish in the top 10 and ties at Mount Juliet Estate in Co Kilkenny from 30 June to 3 July.

Ireland will have at least four players at The Old Course from 14-17 July with past champions Pádraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry amongst the players already exempt.

The exempt list includes Thriston Lawrence, Zander Lombard and Ashley Chesters, who booked their places through the Joburg Open, the first event in the Series which was played in South Africa last month. 

The SMBC Singapore Open will be the next chance for golfers to qualify for the milestone championship at the home of golf when it is played at Sentosa from 20-23 January.

A minimum of 46 places in The Open are available through the Series, which provides golfers with opportunities to qualify at events around the world on the PGA TOUR, DP World Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia, Asian Tour, Korean Tour, Japan Golf Tour and Sunshine Tour.

Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R&A, said: “We have worked closely with our colleagues at the leading professional tours to agree an exciting schedule of events through which golfers can qualify for The 150th Open at St Andrews. There is a real desire among players to be part of this historic occasion at the home of golf and this will undoubtedly spur them on to secure a sought-after place in the Championship next year.”

For the first time, the New Zealand Open on the PGA Tour of Australasia will feature as part of the Series when it is played at Millbrook in Queenstown from 31 March-3 April. Three qualifying places will be offered at New Zealand’s national championship.

On the PGA TOUR, the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and John Deere Classic will each have three qualifying places. Two places will be available at the RBC Canadian Open, while the last qualifying place in The 150th Open will be confirmed at the Barbasol Championship on the eve of the Championship.

The Genesis Scottish Open, which is co-sanctioned by the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour for the first time, will carry three qualifying berths. Three places at both the Irish Open and Dutch Open on the DP World Tour will be available.

Four places will be on offer at the Mizuno Open in Japan and two places at the KOLON Korea Open.

Regional Qualifying events will take place at venues throughout Great Britain and Ireland, including County Louth, on 20 June.  

A minimum of 12 places will then be available at Final Qualifying events taking place at Fairmont St Andrews, Hollinwell, Prince’s and St Annes Old Links on 28 June.

The R&A has also published the list of exemptions that will be used to confirm the field for The 150th Open at St Andrews. Please visit TheOpen.com for more information.  

The Open Qualifying Series will offer the following qualification places in The 150th Open:

OQS-South Africa, Joburg Open 25-28 November 2021, Randpark, Johannesburg
3 places to the leading three players (not otherwise exempt) who finish in the top 10 and ties

OQS-Singapore, SMBC Singapore Open, 20-23 January, Sentosa, Singapore
4 places to the leading four players (not otherwise exempt) who finish in the top 12 and ties

OQS-USA, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, 3-6 March, Bay Hill, Orlando
3 places to the leading three players (not otherwise exempt) who finish in the top 10 and ties

OQS-New Zealand, New Zealand Open, 31 March–3 April, Millbrook, Queenstown
3 places to the leading three players (not otherwise exempt) who finish in the top 10 and ties

OQS-Japan, Mizuno Open, 26-29 May, JFE Setonaikai Golf Club, Kasaoka
4 places to the leading four players (not otherwise exempt) who finish in the top 12 and ties

OQS-Netherlands, Dutch Open, 26-29 May, Bernardus Golf, Cromvoirt
3 places to the leading three players (not otherwise exempt) who finish in the top 10 and ties

OQS-Canada, RBC Canadian Open, 9-12 June, St George’s Golf and Country Club, Toronto
2 places to the leading two players (not otherwise exempt) who finish in the top 8 and ties

OQS-Korea, KOLON Korea Open 23-26 June, Woo Jeong Hills, Cheonan
2 places to the leading two players (not otherwise exempt) who finish in the top 8 and ties

OQS-Final Qualifying 28 June
Fairmont St Andrews, Hollinwell, Prince’s, St Annes Old Links
Minimum of 12 places

OQS-Ireland, Irish Open 30 June-3 July, Mount Juliet Estate, Co. Kilkenny
3 places to the leading three players (not otherwise exempt) who finish in the top 10 and ties

OQS-USA John Deere Classic. 30 June-3 July. TPC Deere Run, Silvis
3 places to the leading three players (not otherwise exempt) who finish in the top 10 and ties

OQS-Scotland, Genesis Scottish Open, 7-10 July, Renaissance Club, North Berwick
3 places to the leading three players (not otherwise exempt) who finish in the top 10 and ties

OQS-USA, Barbasol Championship, 7-10 July, Keene Trace, Nicholasville
1 place to the leading player (not otherwise exempt) who finishes in the top 5 and ties

Minimum of 46 places available in the Open
NB: Any player who has qualified through The Open Qualifying Series is deemed an exempt player. In the event that that player subsequently fulfils other exemption categories those places in the starting field will be subject to Section F of The Open Entry Form.

Exempt players

The following players have secured exemptions for The 150th Open, taking place at St Andrews from 10-17 July 2022.

Some players appear multiple times, as they have gained exemptions via a number of categories.

Open Champions aged 60 or under on 17 July 2022

Mark Calcavecchia, John Daly, Justin Leonard, Paul Lawrie, Tiger Woods, David Duval, Ernie Els, Ben Curtis, Todd Hamilton, Padraig Harrington, Stewart Cink, Louis Oosthuizen, Darren Clarke, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Zach Johnson, Henrik Stenson, Jordan Spieth, Francesco Molinari, Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa

The Open Champions for 2011-2021

Darren Clarke, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Zach Johnson, Henrik Stenson, Jordan Spieth, Francesco Molinari, Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa

First 10 and anyone tying for 10th place in The 149th Open at Royal St George's in 2021

Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm, Louis Oosthuizen, Dylan Frittelli, Brooks Koepka, Mackenzie Hughes, Dustin Johnson, Robert MacIntyre, Daniel Berger, Scottie Scheffler

The first 50 players on the OWGR (Week TBC, 2022)

TBC

First 30 in the DP World Tour rankings for 2021

Collin Morikawa, Billy Horschel, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Min Woo Lee, Paul Casey, Nicolai Hojgaard, Robert MacIntyre, Abraham Ancer, Richard Bland, Alexander Bjork, Bernd Wiesberger, Will Zalatoris, Tommy Fleetwood, Guido Migliozzi, Viktor Hovland, Dean Burmester, Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Jason Scrivener, Lucas Herbert, Ian Poulter, Laurie Canter, Thomas Detry, Thomas Pieters, Danny Willett, Justin Harding, Garrick Higgo, Justin Rose.

THE BMW PGA Championship winners for 2018-2021

2018 - Francesco Molinari, 2019 - Danny Willett, 2020 - Tyrrell Hatton, 2021 - Billy Horschel

The first 5 European Tour members and any European Tour members tying for fifth place, not otherwise exempt, in the top 20 of the Race to Dubai rankings on completion of the 2022 BMW International Open.

TBC

The U.S. Open Champions for 2017-2022

2017 & 2018 - Brooks Koepka, 2019 - Gary Woodland, 2020 - Bryson DeChambeau, 2021 - Jon Rahm, 2022 - TBC

The Masters Champions for 2017-2022

2017 - Sergio Garcia, 2018 - Patrick Reed, 2019 - Tiger Woods, 2020 - Dustin Johnson, 2021 - Hideki Matsuyama, 2022 - TBC

The PGA Champions for 2016-2022

2016 - Jimmy Walker, 2017 - Justin Thomas, 2018 & 2019 - Brooks Koepka, 2020 - Collin Morikawa, 2021 - Phil Mickelson, 2022 - TBC

The PLAYERS Champions for 2019-2022

2019 - Rory McIlroy, 2020 - Cancelled, 2021 - Justin Thomas, 2022 - TBC

Top 30 players from the final 2021 FedExCup Points List

Patrick Cantlay, Jon Rahm, Kevin Na, Justin Thomas, Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Billy Horschel, Abraham Ancer, Daniel Berger, Tony Finau, Jason Kokrak, Cameron Smith, Louis Oosthuizen, Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia, Sam Burns, Harris English, Jordan Spieth, Sungjae Im, Corey Conners, Erik van Rooyen, Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Reed, Hideki Matsuyama, Collin Morikawa, Stewart Cink, Joaquin Niemann, Brooks Koepka.

The first 5 PGA TOUR members and any PGA TOUR members tying for fifth place, not exempt in the top 20 of the PGA TOUR FedExCup Points List for 2022 on completion of the 2022 Travelers Championship

TBC

The 115th VISA Open de Argentina 2021 Champion

Jorge Fernandez-Valdes

Playing members of the 2021 Ryder Cup Teams

Collin Morikawa, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Harris English, Daniel Berger, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Bernd Wiesberger, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Paul Casey, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Lee Westwood, Shane Lowry, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter

First and anyone tying for 1st place on the Order of Merit of the Tour of Australasia for 2021-22

TBC

First and anyone tying for 1st place on the Order of Merit of the Sunshine Tour for 2021-22

TBC

The Japan Open Champion for 2021

Shaun Norris

The Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup Champion for 2022

TBC

First 2 and anyone tying for 2nd place, on the Final Official Money List of the Japan Golf Tour for 2021

TBC

First and anyone tying for 1st place, not exempt in a cumulative money list taken from all official 2022 Japan Golf Tour events up to and including the 2022 Japan Tour Championship.

TBC

The Senior Open Champion for 2021

Stephen Dodd

The Amateur Champion for 2022

TBC

The U.S. Amateur Champion for 2021

James Piot (a)

The European Amateur Champion for 2022

TBC

The Mark H McCormack Medal (Men's WORLD AMATEUR GOLF RANKING) winner for 2021

Keita Nakajima (a)

The Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion for 2021

Keita Nakajima (a)

The Latin America Amateur Champion for 2022

TBC

OQS South Africa - The 2021 Joburg Open

Thriston Lawrence, Zander Lombard, Ashley Chesters

OQS Singapore - The 2022 SMBC Singapore Open

TBC

OQS USA - The 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational

TBC

OQS New Zealand - The 2022 New Zealand Open

TBC

OQS Japan - The 2022 Mizuno Open

TBC

OQS Netherlands - The 2022 Dutch Open

TBC

OQS Canada - The 2022 RBC Canadian Open

TBC

OQS Korea - The 2022 KOLON Korea Open

TBC

OQS Ireland - The 2022 Irish Open

TBC

OQS USA - The 2022 John Deere Classic

TBC

OQS Scotland - The 2022 Genesis Scottish Open

TBC

OQS USA - The 2022 Barbasol Championship

TBC

Final Qualifying - Fairmont St Andrews, Hollinwell, Prince's & St Annes Old Links

TBC