Two British Open spots up for grabs at golf’s Singapore Open
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Singaporean golfer James Leow welcomed the news that the Singapore Open will offer two spots to the 2026 British Open.
PHOTO: ASIAN TOUR
- Two Singapore Open slots offer players a chance to compete in the British Open, announced by the R&A for the April 23-26 tournament.
- Local golfer James Leow is motivated by this "tangible pathway" to the Major, raising the competition standard at the Singapore Open.
- The Singapore Open elevates its stature, enhancing appeal to players and fans, says SGA chief executive Joshua Ho.
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SINGAPORE – The region’s best golfers will have their chance to secure a spot at one of the sport’s four Majors when they compete at the April 23-26 Singapore Open.
The R&A, which organises the British Open, announced on Feb 2 that two slots will be given to the best players at the Singapore tournament who are not already eligible for the July 16-19 event
The tournament is part of the Open Qualifying Series that runs from October 2025 to July and offers players the opportunity to earn their ticket to Royal Birkdale in Southport, England.
Held at Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong Course, the Singapore Open is also part of the International Series and one of the Asian Tour’s marquee events.
Local professional golfer James Leow, who is playing on the Asian Tour this season, welcomed the news.
The 29-year-old said: “For players in Singapore, it creates a real tangible pathway to the Open – you’re not just playing for a trophy now, you’re playing for a chance to compete for one of the most historic championships in golf.
“It’s very motivating, especially being able to compete on the Asian Tour this year, so I have a spot to the Singapore Open.
“I’ve been training my whole life for opportunities like this and to have it happen at home makes it special and just raises the standard for all of us competing in that event.”
Singapore Golf Association chief executive Joshua Ho called the move a significant step forward.
He said: “This elevates the stature of our national open, which has a strong legacy, and further enhances its appeal to players and fans alike.”
Cho Minn Thant, chief executive of the Asian Tour, said: “We are delighted that the R&A has recognised the stature of the Singapore Open which has a proud history of crowning world-class champions and consistently being one of the strongest events in Asia.
“We are confident that the Serapong Course at Sentosa Golf Club, with its reputation of being the ultimate test of golf, will identify the very best players in the field worthy of spots at the 154th Open championship at Royal Birkdale.”
The tournament had previously offered slots to the Major when it was part of the Open Qualifying Series for five editions from 2017 to 2022.
During that period, the event was co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour.
Inaugurated in 1961, the Singapore Open was part of Asia’s very first professional golf circuit, which comprised a handful of tournaments in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia and Japan.
It became a fixture on the Australasian Tour for three seasons from 1993, before it joined the Asian Tour in 1996.
The event was co-sanctioned with the European Tour – now known as the DP World Tour – from 2009 to 2012, and later with the Japan Golf Tour from 2016 to 2022.
It returned to the Republic in November 2025
Past champions include Australia’s former world No. 1 Adam Scott (2005, 2006, 2010) and 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia (2018) of Spain.
The 2025 edition was won by Japan’s Yosuke Asaji
Singapore was represented by 11 golfers, including Leow. Brayden Lee and Troy Storm were the two local players to make the cut in the field of 140, finishing tied-50th and joint-63rd after carding a total of six-under 282 and two-under 286 respectively.
