500th-ranked golfer punches ticket to 2026 Masters, The Open

Field Level Media
21 Oct 2025, 01:49 GMT+10

(Photo credit: The R&A)

Naoyuki Kataoka, ranked 500th in the Official World Golf Ranking last week, scored invites to the 2026 Masters and The Open Championship by winning The Japan Open on Sunday.

Kataoka sunk a par putt on the first playoff hole to outlast Satoshi Hara for the victory, which vaulted him 145 spots to No. 355. More importantly, it took advantage of a change in the qualifying rules for the Masters, which no longer hands out invitations for winners of fall PGA Tour events and instead awards them to winners of certain national open championships.

One of them is The Japan Open, whose winner also earns an invite to The Open by the R&A via the Open Qualifying Series. The 2026 Open Championship will be held at Royal Birkdale.

The 27-year-old Kataoka shot a 3-under-par 277 to top the 120-player field at Nikko Country Club and will play in the Masters and The Open for the first time. His career-high world ranking was 164th back in 2021 following a tie for second at the Dunlop Phoenix on the Japanese tour.

'It's really a dream come true for me,' Kataoka said, via The Japan Times. 'I'm really happy to be able to play in the Masters and The Open.

'I'll work as hard as I can, prepare by April, and do my best to be able to compete. I felt a really strong sense of accomplishment as I finally won again after enduring so many near misses during those barren four years (since the 2021 Japan Players Championship).'

Other events that award invites to the Masters and The Open are the Australian Open, the Hong Kong Open and the South African Open.--Field Level Media

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Zimbabwe Star.

More Information

International

Section

Poll: Trump, Congress share blame as shutdown drags into third week

WASHINGTON, D.C.: A new AP-NORC poll shows that most Americans think the ongoing government shutdown is a serious problem — and they...

Panama’s president says US pressuring them to curb ties with Beijing

PANAMA CITY. Panama: Panama's President José Raúl Mulino said this week that someone at the U.S. Embassy has been threatening to cancel...

Violent clashes erupt in Lima as anger mounts against President Jeri

LIMA, Peru: At least one person was killed and dozens of police officers were injured during large protests in Peru on the night of...

Merck cuts IVF drug prices in U.S. under Trump tariff deal

WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. President Donald Trump and Germany's Merck KGaA announced a deal to sharply cut the price of key in-vitro fertilization...

Design flaws caused Titan disaster, final US NTSB report finds

PORTLAND, Maine: Faulty engineering was to blame for the catastrophic implosion of the Titan submersible that killed five people on...

Seven children 3 women, among 11 killed in Israeli strike

GAZA - A family of eleven, including 7 children, and three women have been killed in an attack by the Israeli army, just inside the...

Africa

Section

500th-ranked golfer punches ticket to 2026 Masters, The Open

(Photo credit: The R&A) Naoyuki Kataoka, ranked 500th in the Official World Golf Ranking last week, scored invites to the 2026 Masters...

"Towering symbol of Aatmanirbhar Bharat": PM Modi celebrates Diwali on board INS Vikrant, underscores goal of making India among world's top defence exporters

New Delhi [India], October 20 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the armed forces personnel during Diwali celebration on...