Naoyuki Kataoka, ranked 500th in the Official World Golf Ranking last week, scored invites to the 2026 Masters and The Open Championship by winning The Japan Open on Sunday.

Kataoka sunk a par putt on the first playoff hole to outlast Satoshi Hara for the victory, which vaulted him 145 spots to No. 355. More importantly, it took advantage of a change in the qualifying rules for the Masters, which no longer hands out invitations for winners of fall PGA Tour events and instead awards them to winners of certain national open championships.

One of them is The Japan Open, whose winner also earns an invite to The Open by the R&A via the Open Qualifying Series. The 2026 Open Championship will be held at Royal Birkdale.

The 27-year-old Kataoka shot a 3-under-par 277 to top the 120-player field

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