Scottish Final Qualifying venue for The Open to change in 2027

Gailes Links in Ayrshire will be back as one of the Final Qualifying venues for The Open next year after being announced by The R&A as a replacement for its next door neighbour.

Since 2018, one of four Final Qualifiers used for the Clare Jug event has been held at Dundonald Links, where former world No 1 Lee Westwood was among the players to progress last year.

From next year, though, it is heading back to Gailes Links, which is owned by Glasgow Golf Club and is another trusty venue for The R&A.

Colin Montgomerie attracted a huge crowd when he played in a Final Qualifier there in 2017 and secured a spot in The Open at his home course at Royal Troon.

Two of the Final Qualifying venues used in recent years for The Open will change in 2027 | Getty Images

In another change from 2027, Prince’s will replace Royal Cinque Ports as the course used for Final Qualifying in the south-east of England, with Burnham & Berrow and West Lancashire remaining as the other two courses.

The Final Qualifiers next year will be for The 155th Open, where the world’s oldest major will be taking place for the 31st time.

Five spots in 154th Open up for grabs this week

Meanwhile, spots in The 154th Open, which takes place at Royal Birkdale in July, are up for grabs in three events this week - the New Zealand Open, Investec South African Open and Argentina Open.

The leading non-exempt player in the 105th New Zealand Open at Millbrook Resort in Queenstown will secure a trip to Southport, with Kazuki Higa, Daniel Hillier and Naoyuki Kataoka the only exempt players in the field.

It’s the same scenario for the 119th Argentina Open at the Jockey Club in Buenos Aires, where there are no players in the line up who are already exempt for The Open.

Three spots, meanwhile, are on offer through the South African Open at Stellenbosch, where two-time Open champion Ernie Els is one the exempt players.

So, too, are Angel Ayora, Martin Couvra, Michael Hollick, Kota Kenako, Joakim Lagergren and Jack Buchanan, the latter having secured his spot at Royal Birkdale through winning the Africa Amateur Championship earlier this month.