Open Qualifying Series features Valderrama for first time in 2019

The road to The 148th Open at Royal Portrush will for the first time in 2019 feature the Andalucia Valderrama Masters, while the South African Open hosted by The City of Joburg, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and the Aberdeen Standard Investment Scottish Open all return to the Qualifying Series.

A total 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 European Tour, the US PGA TOUR, the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Asian Tour, the Korean Tour, the Japan Golf Tour and the Sunshine Tour.

Three places at each of the Andalucía Valderrama Masters - which replaces the Open de France - the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open will be available, while the co-sanctioned South African Open also provides an opportunity for European Tour Members..

Regional Qualifying and Final Qualifying events, meanwhile, will take place at venues throughout Great Britain and Ireland. The Fairmont St Andrews will replace The Renaissance Club as one of the four Final Qualifying venues.

The Emirates Australian Open will be the first opportunity for players to secure their place at Royal Portrush, which was the host venue of the 2012 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, next year. The leading three players, who finish in the top ten and ties and who are not already exempt, will qualify for The Open.

Three new events on the US PGA TOUR will also feature in the Series for the first time: the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, the RBC Canadian Open and the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R&A, said, “The race to qualify for The Open at Royal Portrush has well and truly begun and we are eagerly anticipating an exciting series of events as golfers around the world aim to book their place at the Championship.

“We know that there is real excitement at the prospect of The Open returning to Northern Ireland for the first time in almost 70 years and it will undoubtedly act as an extra incentive for those players who are hopeful of teeing it up at the famous Dunluce links in July.”

The South African Open hosted by The City of Joburg will replace the Joburg Open following a merger of the two events. It will be played at Randpark, Johannesburg from 6-9 December this year when three qualifying places will be on offer.

Four places in The Open will be available at both the SMBC Singapore Open, which is being played at Sentosa Golf Club, and The Mizuno Open taking place at The Royal Golf Club in Japan.

On the PGA TOUR, the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and RBC Canadian Open will each have three qualifying places while two golfers will qualify from the Rocket Mortgage Classic. The last qualifying place will be confirmed at the John Deere Classic on the eve of The 148th Open.

Two places will also be available at the KOLON Korea Open in June.

The Open Qualifying Series (TOQS) will offer the following qualification places in The 148th Open: