Qualifiers for all 2027 Signature Events, The Players and majors

When the PGA Tour in mid-September released the comprehensive modifications that will define membership for the 2028 season, it included the provision that all winners through the 2026 season will be rewarded with status in the Championship Series when it launches. While internal conversations ahead of the news may have included that direction, nothing is official until it’s official, so context in live action didn’t apply until the Biltmore Championship Asheville that launched the FedExCup Fall.

Jacob Bridgeman took the title of the inaugural stop at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove. He had advanced to the Tour Championship, so his status in the top tier on Tour already was solidified. With the Presidents Cup that followed, it’d be another two weeks before anyone not yet eligible for the Championship Series would be playing for the official reward.

Austin Smotherman likely won’t be remembered in the future as the answer to a trivia question that encapsulates the aforementioned sequence of events, but he’s forever a winner on the PGA Tour. That’s all that matters right now even though he’s the first to be rewarded post-announcement.

The 32-year-old parlayed a one-stroke lead after three rounds into a two-shot breakthrough victory at Black Desert Golf Course in Ivins, Utah. Smotherman is the third first-timer of the tournament in as many editions and the ninth of this season. He connected in his 100th career Tour start.

While Smotherman snags the customary exemptions into The Players Championship and PGA Championship next year, because his win occurred in 2026, he’ll be with the biggest dogs in the Championship Series in 2028. Oh, and because he rose 28 spots to 51st in the FedExCup, he’s now in the pole position for the first class of the Aon Next 10 that grants entry into the first two Signature Events in 2027.

Winners of FedExCup Fall stops don’t earn exemptions into the Masters but one slot in the field for the first major (and another) next year was determined last week, anyway.

Andrew Bailey prevailed at the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship on Thursday, Oct. 1. He defeated Nate Smith, 5 and 4, in the scheduled 36-hole finale on The Lido Course at Sand Valley Resort in Nekoosa, Wisconsin.

The duo went back forth across the first 22 holes during which Smith held two leads of 2 up to Bailey’s pair at 1 up. Bailey then went birdie-par-birdie to win three consecutive holes and remained 3 up at the turn in the second 18. He’d tack on another two wins before matching pars on the 31st and 32nd holes to seal the title. Smith, who is a former PGA Tour member, was shut out in the last 12 holes.

The victory yields exemptions into the 2027 Masters and U.S. Open for Bailey, but he must remain an amateur to utilize both. Mid-ams usually do and given that the 34-year-old is a national sales manager for an apparel company (that happens to specialize in golf), he’s likely to retain eligibility.

In addition to the usual slate of 2027 berths via the Baycurrent Classic this week, exemptions into The Players, the Masters, the U.S. Open and The Open Championship also are for grabs in a pair of capacities. Review REMAINING QUALIFYING CRITERIA below the alphabetical list of all qualifiers for the details.

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SE = All Signature Events
TPC = The Players Championship
MAS = Masters
PGA = PGA Championship
US = U.S. Open
OPEN = The Open Championship

Recent additions
SE -- none
TPC -- Austin Smotherman
MAS -- Andrew Bailey
PGA -- Austin Smotherman
US -- Andrew Bailey
OPEN -- none

NOTE: Golfers are omitted if they haven’t competed recently in majors for which they are eligible (e.g., Masters = Trevor Immelman; The Open Championship = Paul Lawrie.

REMAINING QUALIFYING CRITERIA

Criteria are listed in chronological order where possible. Until all are confirmed, best estimates are given and all are subject to change.

Signature events

• AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Feb. 4-7)
• The Genesis Invitational (Feb. 18-21)
• Cadillac Championship (March 4-7)
• Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (March 18-21)
• RBC Heritage (April 15-18)
• Truist Championship (May 13-16)
• the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (June 3-6)
• Travelers Championship (June 24-27)

The Players Championship (TPC) at TPC Sawgrass (Stadium) – March 11-14

• Winners of PGA Tour events through the final week before The Players.
• Leader of the Korn Ferry Tour Points List at the conclusion of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by Virginia's Richmond Region (Oct. 11).
• Leader of the Race to Dubai ranking to earn a PGA Tour card at the conclusion of the DP World Tour Championship (Nov. 15).
• Top 100 in the FedExCup at the conclusion of The RSM Classic (Nov. 22).
• Top 10 in the FedExCup at the conclusion of the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches (Feb. 28).
• Top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking (March 1).
• If necessary to complete the field of 120, golfers outside the top 10 in the FedExCup at the conclusion of the Cognizant Classic on Feb. 28 will gain entry in order of position.

Masters (MAS) at Augusta National Golf Club – April 8-11

• Winners of PGA Tour events that award full FedExCup points allocation for the Tour Championship.
• Winner of the U.S. Mid-Amateur, if still an amateur (Oct. 1).
• Winner of the Open de España (Oct. 11).
• Winner of the Japan Open (Oct. 18).
• Winner of the Hong Kong Open (Oct. 25).
• Winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (Nov. 1).
• Winner of the Australian Open (Dec. 6).
• Top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking (Dec. 31).
• Winner of the Latin America Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (Jan. 17).
• Winner of the South African Open (March 7).
• Top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking (March 29).
• Special invitations to international players per Masters Tournament Committee at its discretion.

PGA Championship (PGA) at PGA Frisco – May 20-23

• Winners of PGA Tour events through the final week before the 2027 PGA Championship.
• Top three from International Federation Ranking List (TBD).
• Winner of the Senior PGA Championship (April 18).
• Top 20 from PGA Professional Championship (April 28).
• Top three from Asian Swing ranking on the DP World Tour (May 2).
• Top 70 from special money list (i.e., "PGA Championship Points") on PGA Tour from 2026 Truist Championship/Myrtle Beach Classic through the Valspar Championship (May 9).
• Special exemptions per PGA of America. (This likely will include all golfers from the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking on May 9.)
• If necessary to complete the field of 156, golfers outside top 70 from special money list (two lines above) will gain entry in order of position.

U.S. Open (US) at Pebble Beach Golf Links – June 17-20

• Winners of multiple PGA Tour events that award full FedExCup points allocation since the 2026 U.S. Open.
• Winner of the U.S. Mid-Amateur, if still an amateur (Oct. 1).
• Leader of the Korn Ferry Tour Points List at the conclusion of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by Virginia's Richmond Region (Oct. 11).
• Winner of the Latin America Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (Jan. 17).
• Winner of The Players Championship (March 14).
• Winner of the Masters (April 11).
• Winner of the PGA Championship (May 23).
• Top five, not otherwise exempt, in the FedExCup at the conclusion of a PGA Tour event TBD in 2027 (TBD).
• Top two, not otherwise exempt, in the 2026 Race to Dubai at the conclusion of an event TBD in 2027 (TBD).
• Top player, not otherwise exempt, in the 2027 Race to Dubai (TBD).
• Leader, not otherwise exempt, in the top three of the LIV Golf Individual Standings (TBD).
• Top 60 of the Official World Golf Ranking (1 of 2) (TBD).
• Final qualifying (TBD).
• Winner of the NCAA Division I individual championship, if still an amateur (June 2).
• Top 60 of the Official World Golf Ranking (2 of 2) (TBD).
• Special exemptions per the USGA.

The Open Championship (OPEN) at St. Andrews Links (Old Course) -- July 15-18

• Top finisher, not otherwise exempt, who makes the cut at the Open de España (Oct. 11).
• Top finisher, not otherwise exempt, who makes the cut at the Japan Open (Oct. 18).
• Top finisher, not otherwise exempt, who makes the cut at the Hong Kong Open (Oct. 25).
• Winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (Nov. 1).
• Top 25 in the Race to Dubai at the conclusion of the DP World Tour Championship (Nov. 15).
• Top three, not otherwise exempt, who make the cut at the Australian Open (Dec. 6).
• Winner of the Latin America Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (Jan. 17).
• Winner of the Africa Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (TBD).
• Top finisher, not otherwise exempt, who makes the cut at the New Zealand Open (Feb. 28).
• Top finisher, not otherwise exempt, who makes the cut at the 120th Open de Argentina (TBD).
• Top three, not otherwise exempt, who make the cut at the South African Open (March 7).
• Winner of The Players Championship (March 14).
• Top finisher, not otherwise exempt, who makes the cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (March 21).
• Winner of the Masters (April 11).
• Top two, not otherwise exempt, who make the cut at the Singapore Open (April 18).
• Top four in the Federation Ranking (May 20).
• Top finisher, not otherwise exempt, who makes the cut at the KOLON Korea Open (May 23).
• Winner of the PGA Championship (May 23).
• Top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking (May 24).
• Top two, not otherwise exempt, who make the cut at the Mizuno Open (May 30).
• Top finisher, not otherwise exempt, who makes the cut at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (June 6).
• Top three, not otherwise exempt, who make the cut at the RBC Canadian Open (June 13).
• Winner of the British Amateur, if still an amateur (June 19).
• Winner of the U.S. Open (June 20).
• Winner of the European Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (June 26).
• Leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking points accumulated at the St. Andrews Links Trophy (TBD), British Amateur (June 19) and European Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (June 26).
• Top five, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 20 in the Race to Dubai at the conclusion of the Open d'Italia (June 27).
• Top five, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 20 in the FedExCup at the conclusion of the Travelers Championship (June 27).
• Final Qualifying (June 29).
• Top finisher, not otherwise exempt, who makes the cut at the Irish Open (July 4).
• Top finisher, not otherwise exempt, who makes the cut at the John Deere Classic (July 4).
• Top three, not otherwise exempt, who make the cut at the Genesis Scottish Open (July 11).
• Winner of the Last-Chance Qualifier (July 12).