Masters 2026: Here's everybody in the field (so far) at Augusta National
With the 2026 Masters still three months away, the prestigious field at Augusta National is rapidly solidifying, shaped by both traditional routes and significant new qualifying criteria that emphasize the tournament's global reach.
The latest addition is Argentina's Mateo Pulcini, who earned his invitation by winning the Latin America Amateur Championship in a playoff this past weekend. He joins a group of intriguing first-timers, including American Ryan Gerard, who secured his spot by jumping into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking at the end of 2025—a classic route to Augusta.
This year, however, sees a historic shift. Following an August 2025 announcement with the R&A, the Masters now grants automatic invitations to winners of several historic national opens, a move designed to "shine a bright light" on global talent. The beneficiaries so far include:
Chris Gotterup (Scottish Open)
Marco Penge (Spanish Open)
Naoyuki Kataoka (Japan Open)
Tom McKibbin (Hong Kong Open)
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (Australian Open)
The winner of March's South African Open will claim the final spot in this new category.
“The Masters Tournament has long recognized the significance of having international representation among its invitees,” said Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley.
Concurrently, the club tightened another path: only PGA Tour events awarding full FedEx Cup points now carry a Masters exemption, excluding winners of the post-season FedEx Fall events.
To date, 102 players have qualified for the 2026 Masters, with 87 expected to compete. For those still on the outside, the remaining avenues are narrowing: win a full-point PGA Tour event, triumph in South Africa, or crack the OWGR top 50 the week before the tournament.
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