Golf Australia and the PGA of Australia have welcomed the announcement from Augusta National Golf Club and The R&A that the champion, or non-qualified top finisher, at Royal Melbourne in November will now be a starter at both the Masters and the British Open at Royal Birkdale next year.
It's a result of the Masters organisers making a rare change to their qualifying criteria.
Augusta National has decided to stop offering invitations to winners of the weaker PGA Tour events in the autumn and instead reward the winners of six national tournaments around the world -- the South African Open, Australian Open, Japan Open, Spanish Open, Hong Kong Open and Scottish Open -- with a coveted invite.
The British Open has had its own qualifying series since 2013 that rewards successful players at the Australian Open. The difference will be that Augusta National will invite only the winner, while the oldest major has provided three spots for the leading finishers.
"The Masters Tournament has long recognised the significance of having international representation among its invitees," Chairman Fred Ridley said.
"We, along with The R&A, have a shared commitment to the global game and are proud to work together. Today's announcement strengthens our organisations' collective vision of rewarding top talent around the world who rise to the top of historic national open championships."
Under the new format, Ryggs Johnston, the American who won the Australian Open last November and booked a place at the British Open at Royal Portrush alongside Curtis Luck and Marc Leishman, would also have landed a place at the 2025 Masters.
The Masters occasionally tweaks its qualification format, like when it added the NCAA champion to its field, but this is the first major change for a dozen years since it did away with the top-30 from the PGA Tour money list gaining an automatic place.
Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said: "We are committed to elevating the status of our national Open, and this announcement is another significant step in that direction.
"Winning a place in The Masters field is a great honour for any golfer and combined with the chance to qualify for The Open it will be a special bonus for the Australian Open winner.
"With the 2025 Masters Champion, Rory McIlroy, confirmed to play at Royal Melbourne, there is already huge anticipation ahead of the Australian Open in December. This announcement will only fuel greater interest from players, fans and commercial partners."
