Venue, quality of field and history all enter the equation when debating the attributes that make up a great golf championship. In the modern era, another important gauge of a tournament’s status is its inclusion in The Open Qualifying Series. Story by Spencer Robinson – Asian Tour contributor.

This year, that’s an honour which has been bestowed on a total of just 15 championships by The R&A, golf’s governing body and organisers of The Open, golf’s original championship.

Among them is the Singapore Open presented by The Business Times, which makes a welcome return to the august list for 2026 – adding kudos and another layer of prestige to what will be the 57th edition of the Island Republic’s national championship.

To be staged over the award-winning Serapong Course at Sentosa Golf Club from April 23-26, the Singapore Open presented by The Business Times will act as the fourth leg of the 2026 Asian Tour season and the second stop on The International Series.

It will also be offering coveted places to The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale in July. The leading two players in the field who make the cut and who are not already exempt, will book themselves tickets to England and starting spots in the concluding Major of the year.

Royal Birkdale Golf Club. Picture by David Cannon/R&A/R&A via Getty Images.

Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour, said: “We thank The R&A for including the Singapore Open in the Open Qualifying Series, and the on-going strengthening of our partnership. This will give our members a great chance of playing in The Open, which is the goal of every professional golfer.

“The Open Qualifying Series helps to shine a light on the Asian Tour’s talent pool, particularly its diversity and youthfulness, while contributing to our growing stature.”

The Asian Tour is an affiliate member of The R&A, a relationship that led to the launch of the ADT Players Championship presented by The R&A in Cambodia last year on the Asian Development Tour.

The lucky duo who succeed in making it through from Sentosa will write their names into the annals of golfing history as participants in The Open, a championship that was already 101 years old when the Singapore Open was inaugurated.

Played since 1860 on iconic links golf courses in Great Britain and Ireland, The Open has prided itself on its reputation as the sport’s most international Major championship with qualifying events on every continent on the PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour, DP World Tour, Asian Tour, KPGA Tour, Japan Golf Tour, Sunshine Tour and Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.

Mark Darbon, Chief Executive of The R&A, added: “The Open is one of the world’s great sporting events and its global nature is reflected in the number of outstanding opportunities we offer to golfers to qualify for the championship through our exemptions and professional Tour events held internationally each year.

“The Open Qualifying Series generates great excitement and intrigue each year as players compete to earn a coveted place in the championship and we look forward to seeing what stories emerge in the months ahead and the field coming together as we get closer to staging another memorable Open at Royal Birkdale.”

Singapore’s National Open has been part of The Open Qualifying Series since 2016. Picture by Suhaimi Abdullah/R&A/R&A via Getty Images.

For those who do not manage to qualify via the Singapore Open, all hope is not lost.

Regional and Final Qualifying events, which are open to professional and amateur golfers worldwide who meet the entry criteria and have traditionally proved popular with Asian Tour members, will take place at venues around Great Britain and Ireland in June.

A new Last-Chance Qualifier will be played at Royal Birkdale on Monday, July 13. The field of 12 players competing for the final place in the championship will be determined using an approach which complements the existing qualification criteria for The Open.