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Naoyuki Kataoka entered the week at No. 500 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He hadn’t won a tournament since the Japan Players Championship in 2021. He had just two top-10 finishes this season on the Japan Golf Tour.

On Sunday night, Kataoka stood alone at Nikko Country Club with a ticket to the 2026 Masters and 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in his hand after winning the 2025 Japan Open.

A recent decision by Augusta National Golf Club and the R&A changed the qualification criteria to award winners of certain national opens entrance into their fields. That meant the 2025 Japan Open came with added incentive for those in the field.

Kataoka shot a final-round 68 and then made a par on the first playoff hole to beat Satoshi Hara and clinch the first two major starts of his career. Scores were high at Nikko Country Club. Kataoka shot 70-70-69-68 to finish the 72 holes at three under par.

“It’s really a dream come true for me,” the 27-year-old Kataoka said after the win, via The Japan Times. “I’m really happy to be able to play in the Masters and The Open.

“I’ll work as hard as I can, prepare by April, and do my best to be able to compete. I felt a really strong sense of accomplishment as I finally won again after enduring so many near misses during those barren four years [since the 2021 Japan Players Championship].”

With the win, Kataoka jumps to No. 355 in the OWGR, which puts him right behind Dylan Wu and in front of NIcholas Colsearts. Kataoka is the second player to earn a trip to the Masters and Open Championship since the qualification criteria changed. Marco Penge won the 2025 Spanish Open, which was his third win of the year on the DP World Tour.

The decision by Augusta National Golf Club and the R&A show the governing bodies, at least these two, are shifting their priorities to embrace international golf and its history while adjusting to the more tiered structure of the PGA Tour. Our Dylan Dethier dove into that here.

“The Masters Tournament has long recognized the significance of having international representation among its invitees,” Augusta National Golf Club and Masters chairman Fred Ridley said in a statement. “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 organizations’ collective vision of rewarding top talent around the world who rise to the top of historic national open championships.”

“We share the same goal as Augusta National to offer places in both The Open and the Masters to players competing in national opens and by doing so to help to showcase and strengthen our sport in those regions,” added R&A CEO Mark Darbon.

The tournaments that now have tickets to the Masters and Open Championships include the Japan Open, the Spanish Open, the Australian Open, the Hong Kong Open and the South African Open.

For Marco Penge, what a difference a year has made.

On Sunday, Penge held off several challengers to win the Spanish Open and punch his ticket to the 2026 Masters and Open Championship. The 27-year-old Englishman has won three times on the DP World Tour this season, earned his PGA Tour card and appears to be headed for bigger things.

But 12 months ago, he was in the midst of a free fall. Penge had descended to No. 440 in the Official World Golf Ranking, and faced a career-defining, five-foot birdie putt at the Genesis Championship in Korea. Had Penge missed, he would have missed the cut and lost his DP World Tour card. He rolled it in and finished 22nd to narrowly keep his playing privileges.

But Penge’s year-long odyssey was only just beginning. He played last year under the knowledge that the DP World Tour was investigating him for breaching betting regulations. Penge admitted he placed bets on golf majors and the Ryder Cup, events he wasn’t playing in. He claims he didn’t know he wasn’t allowed to make small wagers on tournaments he wasn’t playing in. Regardless, the DP World Tour suspended Penge for three months in December.

He returned and won the Hainan Classic in April. An ADHD diagnosis in June, he said, helped him better understand himself and the type of training regimen he needed to follow. He won again at the Danish Golf Championship in August and yet again in Spain on Sunday.

Penge is headed to the PGA Tour as one of the year’s 10 best DP World Tour players who were not already exempt. And yet, as often has been the case in the fractured professional golf landscape, there have been unsubstantiated rumors in some corners that Penge might instead make the jump to LIV Golf, as Tom McKibbin did earlier this year.

On Sunday, Penge was asked about his future and whether LIV Golf is an option.

“I’m going to America tomorrow with my wife to find a place for when we move in January,” Penge said, via Ten Golf. “So as far as I’m aware, I’m playing the PGA Tour next year and hopefully I can have a great season and finish in the [FedEx Cup] Playoffs there and then come back to the DP World Tour and play the rest of the season here. Hopefully, I’ll have a great season and finish in the Playoffs there and then come back to the DP World Tour and play the rest of the season here.

“I love playing golf, and I’d play every week if my team let me. I want to be playing against the best players in the world, and I want to be playing national opens like this. When you win a couple of national opens, that’s something that I’ll never forget. It’s something my family will never forget. That’s my plan.”

In less than a year, Penge has gone from almost falling into the golf hinterlands to No. 31 in the world.

“It’s hard to believe where I was eight months ago to where I am today,” he said. “To do that [get to 31st in the world] on the DP World Tour, where the points are slightly less, is incredible [but] I’m not the sort of person to big myself up.”

The PGA Tour is next. At least, that’s the plan.

Oct 12, 2025, 01:20 PM ET

MADRID — Marco Penge beat fellow Englishman Daniel Brown in a playoff to win the Spanish Open on Sunday and secure a spot in next year’s Masters and Open Championship.

Penge relinquished a four-shot lead but came out on top with a birdie on the first playoff hole to win his third European tour title this year.

“Dan and Joel [Girrbach] played great today. They were holing putts, and I just couldn’t really get it in the hole. It felt like I was really up against it,” Penge said. “But I felt like I managed myself really well, and I actually think tee to green, I feel like I played really solid. It doesn’t matter the putts; I think I used them all yesterday, but obviously holing that one there was worth the wait.”

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It was the first time the national tournament offered the winner an automatic spot for the Masters and The Open.

“It’s crazy,” Penge said about playing in the Masters. “It’s a golf course that I’ve always wanted to play, because I feel like my game sets up really good for it.”

Penge, who shot a 1-over 72 on Sunday, finished tied with Brown at 15 under for the tournament.

Brown, whose 31st birthday was on Saturday, started five shots back but made a run after shooting a 4-under 67 in the final round. That was despite dealing with a right shoulder ailment that required treatment during the back nine. He forced a playoff with a birdie on the final hole.

The 27-year-old Penge also won at the Danish Golf Championship and the Hainan Classic.

Girrbach (69) was four shots back to start the day. The Swiss player finished third at 14 under for the tournament.

Home favorite Jon Rahm, who was seeking a record fourth Spanish Open title, wasn’t in contention at the start of the final round, but he closed with a 6-under 65 to finish in a tie for ninth.

Shane Lowry, who like Rahm was back in action after helping Europe win the Ryder Cup in New York last month, didn’t make the cut at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid in the Spanish capital.

MADRID — Marco Penge beat fellow Englishman Daniel Brown in a playoff to win the Spanish Open on Sunday and secure a spot in next year’s Masters and Open Championship.

Penge relinquished a four-shot lead but came out on top with a birdie on the first playoff hole to win his third European tour title this year.

“Dan and Joel (Girrbach) played great today, they were holing putts and I just couldn’t really get it in the hole, it felt like I was really up against it,†Penge said. “But I felt like I managed myself really well and I actually think tee to green, I feel like I played really solid. It doesn’t matter the putts, I think I used them all yesterday, but obviously holing that one there was worth the wait.â€

It was the first time the national tournament offered the winner an automatic spot for the Masters and the British Open.

“It’s crazy,†Penge said about playing in the Masters. “It’s a golf course that I’ve always wanted to play, because I feel like my game sets up really good for it.â€

Penge, who shot a 1-over 72 on Sunday, finished tied with Brown at 15 under for the tournament.

Brown, whose 31st birthday was on Saturday, started five shots back but he made a run after shooting a 4-under 67 in the final round. That was despite dealing with a right shoulder ailment that required treatment during the back nine. He forced a playoff with a birdie on the final hole.

The 27-year-old Penge also won at the Danish Golf Championship and the Hainan Classic.

Girrbach (69) was four shots back to start the day. The Swiss player finished third at 14 under for the tournament.

Home-crowd favorite Jon Rahm, who was seeking a record fourth Spanish Open title, wasn’t really in contention at the start of the final round, but he closed with a 6-under 65 to finish in a tie for ninth.

Shane Lowry, who like Rahm was back in action after helping Europe win the Ryder Cup in New York last month, didn’t make the cut at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid in the Spanish capital.

Oct 12, 2025, 07:27 AM ET

SHANGHAI — Valentin Vacherot beat his cousin Arthur Rinderknech 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 on Sunday to win the Shanghai Masters for the first title of his career after a stunning run from the qualifying rounds.

The 204th-ranked Vacherot, an unheralded 26-year-old, was the lowest-ranked tournament winner in ATP Masters 1000 history — and the first from the tiny Principality of Monaco.

It was quite a performance, too.

He stunned 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals to set up a final against the 30-year-old Rinderknech, who had downed four-time major finalist Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, in a remarkable semifinal of his own.

Vacherot produced a serving masterclass in the third set, with three straight love holds and 15 consecutive points before finally losing a point in the eighth game with an unforced error.

Serving to stay in the match at 15-40 down, Rinderknech saved one match point but Vacherot wrong-footed him with yet another blistering forehand winner down the line to clinch victory.

He held his face in his hands in disbelief before walking to the net to hug his cousin and then rushing to his team box to share a long hug with coach Benjamin Balleret, who is his half-brother and is a former tennis player from Monaco.

Balleret’s career highlight was a defeat to tennis great Roger Federer in the early rounds of the Monte Carlo Masters in 2006.

Nineteen years later, Federer was in the Shanghai crowd watching as Rinderknech clinched the first set with an ace.

Vacherot secured an early break in the decider and then missed four break-point chances in the fifth game as Rinderknech got a reprieve. The Frenchman immediately took a three-minute medical timeout for massage treatment on his back and then his left shoulder.

But there was nothing he could do to stop his cousin’s momentum.

They never played each other before on the professional tour, with Rinderknech winning their only meeting at a futures tournament in 2018.

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World number 204 Valentin Vacherot upset his cousin Arthur Rinderknech to win his first ATP title at the Shanghai Masters.

Monaco’s Vacherot fought back from a set down to win 4-6 6-3 6-3 against the world number 54 to become the lowest-ranked ATP Masters 1,000 champion since the series began in 1990.

The 26-year-old earns prize money of £824,000 – more than double Vacherot’s previous career earnings of £380,000.

He sealed the success with a searing forehand down the line and, after hugging Rinderknech at the net, sprinted off court and up to one of the boxes to celebrate with his coach and family.

Vacherot then continued the winner’s tradition of writing a message on one of the courtside cameras, writing “Grandpa and Grandma would be proud”.

Both players struggled to hold back tears during their post-match speeches on court.

“It is unreal what just happened – I have no idea what is happening right now. I am not even dreaming, it is just crazy,” said Vacherot.

“There has to be one loser but I think there are two winners today. One family that won and I think for the sport of tennis, the story is unreal.”

Frenchman Rinderknech added: “Valentin, you gave everything. I am so happy for you. Two cousins are stronger than one.”

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Injury has been a problem all tournament for Djokovic and he vomited during his previous matches after struggling with the heat and humidity.

The issues flared up again in Saturday’s semi-final with the 38-year-old receiving medical treatment on several occasions.

At the start of the seventh game, the former world number one had to take an extended medical break, lying on his stomach shirtless as a physio attended to his back.

He received treatment again at the break but battled through into the second set.

Despite visibly struggling, the Serb provided the Shanghai crowd with hopes of a comeback when he moved into a 4-3 lead before Vacherot reeled off three straight games to reach the final.

“I want to congratulate Valentin for reaching his first Masters final,” Djokovic said.

“Going from qualifications, it’s an amazing story. I told him at the net that he’s had an amazing tournament, but more so his attitude is very good and his game was amazing as well.

“So it’s all about him. I wish him all the best in the finals and the better player won today.”

Vacherot, who ensured he would rise into the top 100 for the first time by defeating Holger Rune in the quarter-finals, has now climbed 146 spots to world number 58 in the live rankings as a result of his Shanghai run.

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SHANGHAI — Novak Djokovic had a relatively straightforward victory at the Shanghai Masters for a change as he beat unseeded Zizou Bergs 6-3, 7-5 Thursday to reach the semifinals, where he will face No. 204-ranked qualifier Valentin Vacherot from Monaco.

Djokovic, 38, has struggled in the hot and humid conditions in Shanghai, vomiting during previous matches and needing medical attention when he slumped to the ground in exhaustion after being taken to a third set by Jaume Munar in the previous round.

The only major blip against Bergs was being broken when he led 5-4 in the second set, before finally converting his third match point.

“I should have closed out the match at 5-4,” Djokovic said. “Very challenging conditions these days for all the players, and I was just trying to stay alive on the court. I’m glad to overcome this hurdle.”

It was the first meeting between Djokovic and Bergs.

“Man, I’ve got to stop idolizing you,” Bergs said with a smile before the 26-year-old Belgian hugged Djokovic at the net.

Vacherot stunned 10th-seeded Holger Rune 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4 to become the second lowest-ranked semifinalist in Masters 1000 events in the past 35 years, according to the ATP.

“This is just unbelievable,” Vacherot said in an on-court interview. “I didn’t come as a qualifier, I came as an alternate. I wasn’t even sure I was going to play qualifying.”

Vacherot clinched the win when Rune netted a return of serve, then fell to his knees on the baseline with both hands to his face against the court surface. Rune had struggled with mobility because of leg cramps in the third set.

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Novak Djokovic overcame injury issues and sweltering heat as he beat Jaume Munar to continue his bid for a fifth Shanghai Masters title.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion appeared to struggle with an ankle injury and called for the trainer on a number of occasions to receive treatment, but persevered to win 6-3 5-7 6-2.

On Sunday Djokovic vomited during his win over Yannick Hanfmann in the previous round, which was played in temperatures of over 30C and 80% humidity.

On Tuesday Djokovic called for a medical timeout after breaking to go 3-1 up in the first set and grimaced as he received treatment to his left ankle.

After consolidating the break, he called for the trainer again before wrapping up the opener.

The Serb continued to struggle and grasp his ankle after points, but he managed to keep pace with Munar until the Spaniard struck the decisive blow at 5-4 to take the match to a decider, with Djokovic falling to the floor exhausted after a lengthy rally.

He was quickly attended to by the trainer and assisted to his chair before he had his blood pressure checked.

But, despite appearing devoid of energy, Djokovic returned to the court and broke Munar’s serve at the first time of asking in the third set.

The world number five broke again to take a 5-2 lead before holding to wrap up victory in two hours 41 minutes.

Djokovic will face world number 44 Ziziou Bergs in the quarter-finals, after the Belgian came from behind to beat 31st seed Gabriel Diallo 3-6 7-5 7-6 (10-8) in the last 16.

Tenth seed Holger Rune progressed to the quarter-finals with a 6-4 6-7 (7-9) 6-3 win against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

Afterwards Rune called for the ATP Tour to introduce a heat rule similar to the one used at Grand Slams.

“It’s brutal when you have over 80% of humidity day after day, particularly for the guys when they’re playing during the day with the heat, with sun, it’s even more brutal,” he said.

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SHANGHAI — Third-seeded Alexander Zverev lost to 54th-ranked Arthur Rinderknech 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in his opening match at the Shanghai Masters on Monday.

Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the draw, looked in control after taking the first set but struggled the rest of the match and couldn’t break serve again. Rinderknech got a break in the second set and two in the third to seal the victory in more than two hours.

He also beat Zverev in five sets in the first round at Wimbledon this year.

Rinderknech, 30, has a career-best 23 wins in 2025 and is into the fourth round at a Masters 1000 event for the third time.

He will next play Jiri Lehecka, who defeated Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 6-4.

Earlier, seventh-seeded Alex De Minaur defeated Kamil Majchrzak 6-1, 7-5 in humid conditions for his tour-leading 36th win on hard courts this year.

De Minaur, 26, broke Majchrzak’s serve five times to reach his seventh Masters 1000 fourth round of the season. Two of the breaks came after he dropped serve to trail 4-3 in the second set.

“I came into this week knowing how tough the conditions were going to be,” De Minaur said. “So the mindset ultimately is surviving, finding ways, and getting ready for battles every time you step out on the court. There is no such thing as easy matches, especially in these conditions, so I’m glad I was able to compose myself in the second set, get the break back, and finish it off in two. If we had gone into a third, it would have been very physical.”

De Minaur will next face Nuno Borges, who defeated Shang Juncheng 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-3. Another win for De Minaur would see him hit 50 tour-level victories in a season for the first time.

Felix Auger-Aliassime converted three of four break points to defeat Jesper de Jong 6-4, 7-5. The 12th-seeded Auger-Aliassime was helped to his feet by a ball kid after slipping in the second set. He is 10-2 in August, with both defeats coming against Jannik Sinner. Auger-Aliassime will next face eighth-seeded Lorenzo Musetti, who defeated fellow Italian Luciano Darderi 7-5, 7-6 (1).

Sinner, the defending champion, trailed 7-6 (3), 5-7, 2-3 against Tallon Griekspoor on Sunday when he retired from the match because of cramps.

Top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, who won the Japan Open last week, is not in Shanghai due to minor ailments.

American Learner Tien defeated Cameron Norrie 7-6(4), 6-3.

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