Ryan Gerrard’s 10,000-mile journey paid off as he completed runner-up on the Mauritius Open on Sunday, ending the yr within the high 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings and doing effectively sufficient to be one in all 13 gamers to qualify for the Masters.
This brings the variety of gamers who might doubtlessly compete into the brand new yr to 86, together with Tiger Woods, though it has not been introduced whether or not he’ll take part or not.
Gamers can earn invites by profitable PGA Tour occasions (excluding reverse subject occasions) or by ending within the high 50 one week earlier than the Masters.
The ultimate world rankings will not be launched for an additional week, however OWGR has already predicted the highest 50, with no different tournaments impacting the highest 50. Sam Stevens will end fiftieth, narrowly forward of Canada’s Taylor Pendrith.
Eleventh-placed Alex Nolen is the highest-ranked participant who has not but certified, because of his two wins in England, together with the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Norway’s Christopher Reitan (Nedbank Golf Problem), Michael Kim (French Open), and Finland’s Sami Valimäki (RSM Traditional) and Michael Brennan (Financial institution of Utah Championship) all received their fall tournaments, serving to them safe their locations on the earth rankings.
Different gamers within the high 50 are Aaron Rai, Max Glaserman, Rasmus Højgaard, Min Woo Lee, Siwoo Kim, and Johnny Kiefer.
Brennan and Kiefer current a novel case. Brennan spent most of 2025 on the PGA Tour Americas circuit, two spots beneath the PGA Tour. He received thrice and had 9 different top-10 finishes. He obtained a sponsorship exemption from the Financial institution of Utah Championship and received his first PGA Tour title, ending within the high 50.
Kiefer joined the Korn Ferry Tour and received two races to interrupt into the highest 50 and maintain on to his spot by a slender margin.
The Masters modified its standards this yr, eliminating invites to the FedEx Cup fall match and changing it with home Opens all over the world. Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen certified by profitable the Australian Open, whereas Marco Penge (Spanish Open) and LIV Golf’s Tom McKibbin (Hong Kong Open) additionally certified.
The Masters is eager to maintain the variety of gamers within the subject beneath 100, and hasn’t exceeded that quantity since 1966, however it seems to be on observe to maintain it that method. The 2 spots will probably be crammed by the Latin American Beginner Championship in January and the South African Open in February.
There will probably be 12 main PGA Tour occasions between April 9 and April 12 on the Masters, 4 of that are large occasions the place the vast majority of the sector has already certified.
Woods didn’t play in a match in 2025, first due to a torn Achilles tendon after which due to a seventh hip surgical procedure. His restoration is near taking part in, and he’ll probably be wholesome sufficient in time for the Masters.
Gerrard was ranked 57th on the earth when he selected to journey to Mauritius, a small island within the Indian Ocean, for a match co-hosted by the European Tour and South Africa’s Sunshine Tour. He ought to have completed fourth, however misplaced within the playoffs to Jaden Schaper.
Kim Si-woo competed within the Australian Open and positioned third, incomes sufficient factors to interrupt into the highest 50.
