Singapore Open Preview: The International Series Continues With Open Championship Spots Up For Grabs

The International Series continues its 2026 voyage this week, as the Singapore Open takes center stage at Sentosa Golf Club.

Along with the prize money and trophy, two Open Championship spots are up for grabs for the top two on the leaderboard, not already exempt.

Only Lucas Herbert, Kazuki Higa and amateur Jack Buchanan have already secured a place at Royal Birkdale in July, leaving the field wide open for an unmissable chance to play in a Major Championship this summer.

The International Series is a set of elevated events sanctioned by the Asian Tour that includes increased purses and provides pathways to LIV Golf, as well as the four Majors.

For 2026, the International Series commenced in Japan at the start of April, with the Singapore Open marking the second tournament on the calendar.

Following on from Singapore, the circuit will travel to Morocco, Hong Kong, India, China and The Philippines, before the season-ending finale in Saudi Arabia.

There's a lot to look forward to and, like last season on the International Series, there will be two LIV Golf cards up for grabs.

Last year’s winner of the Singapore Open, Yosuke Asaji, used his victory as a launchpad to earn a place on the circuit for 2026, exemplifying the benefits of playing well on the International Series circuit.

This year, the Singapore Open returns to Sentosa Golf Club after a one-year hiatus, with last year’s edition being held at Singapore Island Country Club.

Prior to 2025, Sentosa had hosted the Singapore Open since 2005, with the par 72 layout playing a staggering 7,411 yards on the scorecard, with the total prize fund remaining $2 million.

The Serapong course is considered one of the world’s top 100 golf courses, and past champions of this event include Matt Kuchar, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Adam Scott.

Like we've seen in other International Series events, Major spots will also be up for grabs and, in the past, Patrick Reed, Carlos Ortiz, Jason Kokrak and Tom McKibbin were able to secure their spots at Majors with victories and strong performances.

The R&A is actively extending their Open Qualifying series criteria to create more pathways into its historic Championship by incorporating more national opens and worldwide events, hence why two places are up for grabs.

One of the headliners this week, Herbert, has already qualified for the 154^th Open at Birkdale, thanks to a runner-up at the New Zealand Open in March.

He was solo second behind Daniel Hillier, who was already exempt; thus, the spot fell to 30-year-old Herbert. The Aussie already has five Open appearances, but has only made the cut twice, his best finish a T15 at St Andrews in 2022.

Another notable name is 2024 US Amateur champion Josele Ballester, who is coming off a third-place finish at LIV Mexico last week, where he rounded off an all-Spaniard podium at Chapultepec.

The former Sun Devil has yet to make a cut at a Major and has only one Open Championship appearance back in 2023 as an amateur.

Ballester is yet to win on the LIV Golf circuit, despite coming close by losing in a playoff to Dean Burmester in Chicago last September. The Spaniard did clinch his first professional victory by winning the PIF Saudi International by three strokes over Caleb Surratt at the end of 2025, though.

Other notable names in the field include 21-year-old amateur Jack Buchanan, who qualified for this year’s Open by winning the Africa Amateur Championship by six strokes in February.

Travis Smyth was victorious in the opening International Series event in Japan earlier this month. He was a wildcard last week at LIV Mexico, and the Australian currently leads the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

Bjorn Hellgren earned his spot on LIV by finishing third in the promotions event in Florida. This was a by-product of the Swede’s maiden Asian Tour title at the Saudi Open in December, which vaulted him to sixth in the Order of Merit.

The wildcard on LIV has yet to flourish so far this season, his best finish coming in Riyadh with a tie for 22^nd.

A place in the Open Championship is one of the most prestigious opportunities for professional golfers, meaning it will all be on the line at Sentosa this week.