Singapore: The Asian Tour has announced that entries are now open for the 2027 Asian Tour Qualifying School – while also detailing the schedule of First Stage tournaments that will feed into the Final Stage at the end of the year.

One of the region’s toughest tests of tournament golf will see five First Stage events staged, with the first being held in the United States followed by four in Thailand.

Soboba Springs Golf Club in California will start proceedings by hosting the Section A event. It will be played from November 17-20, marking the fourth year in succession that the school has visited the United States.

Section B will be staged at Pattana Sports Resort, Chonburi, from December 1-4, while Sections C, D and E will be played simultaneously, from December 8-11 at Phoenix Gold Golf Bangkok, Grand Prix Golf Club, Kanchanaburi, and Pomelo Golf Club, Nakhon Pathom.

All First Stage events will be played over 72 holes with a minimum of 18% advancing to the Final Stage.

The successful qualifiers will earn places in the Final Stage, which will be played over both courses at Lake View Resort & Golf Club, Hua Hin, from December 16-20.

Cho Minn Thant, the Asian Tour’s Commissioner and CEO, said: “The Asian Tour Qualifying School is an essential part of our pathways – playing such an important role in the careers of our members and we are delighted the schedule is now confirmed and we are in position to accept entries.

“Over the past few seasons we’ve seen some very strong performances from Qualifying School graduates. John Catlin and Julien Sale have been prime examples of players who made an instant impact right out of the gates. For next year, new pathways have been established and co-sanctioned events will resume with the DP World Tour which adds another level of progression for Asian Tour members.

“We are seeing more Qualifying School graduates either pick up victories or finish inside the top 65 on the Order of Merit at the end of the season, illustrating the depth of talent which is now present on the Asian Tour. We look forward to seeing this trend continue in 2027 as we enter a new phase for the Asian Tour.”

The Final Stage will be contested over five rounds. The leading 140 players and ties after 36 holes will qualify for rounds three and four, with a further cut after 72 holes to the leading 70 players and ties, who will then play the final round.

At the conclusion of the final round the top 35 players will secure category 16 Asian Tour membership for the 2027 season.

A total of 201 players competed at last year’s Final Stage. China’s Lin Yuxin, a two-time Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship winner, finished top of the class. He and fellow graduates Tomohiro Ishizaka from Japan, American Marcus Plunkett, Australia’s Brett Rankin, Thai Itthipat Buranatanyarat, and Filipino Lloyd Jefferson Go, have made the most of making it through and are currently ranked in the top 65 on the Asian Tour Order of Merit with the second half of the season approaching.

Japan’s Takumi Murakami triumphed at the 2025 school, Sweden’s Kristoffer Broberg won the 2024 edition, while Australian Jack Thompson was number one in 2023. In 2024, Catlin became the first player to graduate from Qualifying School and win the season-long Order of Merit while recording the highest single season prize money earnings.