The Open Championship is the oldest golf competition in the world, and generally regarded as one of the most prestigious.
[1] The qualifying structure is designed to reduce more than 2,500 entrants on five continents, to a field size of 156 competing in the tournament.
Not all those eligible for entry will compete (e.g. older previous Open winners, and injured players).
Qualifying is available to the leading players (not otherwise exempt) who finish in the top n and ties, in around twelve events run by several international golf tours.
[5] Local qualifying begins with 15 events, of 18 holes occurring on a single day just over three weeks before the Open Championship.