Anticipation is building for the Legends Tour 2026 Qualifying School, taking place this week at the iconic Gloria Golf Resort, where one pressure-filled week offers players the chance to earn their place alongside some of the most celebrated names in European golf. Qualifying School provides a unique pathway for accomplished former DP World Tour players and ambitious over-50 professionals alike to play their way onto the Legends Tour and compete with icons such as Paul McGinley, Colin Montgomerie, Paul Lawrie, Michael Campbell and Ian Woosnam, at world-class venues around the globe.
Contested across four rounds on Gloria’s Old and New Courses, Qualifying School remains one of the most pressurised and defining weeks in senior golf. From a starting field of 110, only the top four finishers will earn full playing rights for the 2026 season.
Recent seasons have once again highlighted Qualifying School’s ability to produce immediate Legends Tour contenders. Graduates from recent editions include Matthew Cort, Lionel Alexandre, David Shacklady, Shinichi Yokota and Craig Farrelly — all of whom have gone on to shape storylines on the Legends Tour.
Matthew Cort turned his 2025 qualification into an outstanding maiden campaign, finishing fifth at the Champions UK plc European Senior Masters and sixth at the Vattanac Legends Championship Legacy Edition, before ending the year just outside the top 10 in the Order of Merit. That consistency, forged under pressure at Qualifying School last January, allowed Cort to approach the closing stages of the season with clarity and confidence rather than survival in mind.
Speaking during the final tournament of the 2025 season – the MCB Mauritius Legends – Cort reflected on how far he had come over the course of the year and the importance of securing his playing status early.
“I started the year with no category and had to go to Q-School. Thankfully it went really well for me and I finished second there. It’s a lot of pressure to play knowing that you need to finish in the top five to get your card and there are so many good players. The rewards are huge if you make it, so it was a massive relief to play so well and be able to look forward to a full season on the Legends Tour.
“I then knew I needed to finish in the top 20 on the Order of Merit to keep my card for the following season. It’s always in the back of your mind so I’m delighted to have played so consistently all season and managed to do that.”
With his card secured heading into the final event, Cort admitted the shift in mindset was significant — freeing him to focus on performance rather than points.
“I’ve really done what I set out to do, which was finish top 20 as a minimum. Anything better than that is a bonus. There are a lot of guys out here playing to keep their card, so that’s one less pressure for me.”
Another player to underline the value of Q-School as a gateway to the Legends Tour is Craig Farrelly, who produced a superb run of late-season form in 2025. Farrelly finished seventh at the Sergio Melpignano Senior Italian Open, eighth at the Vattanac Legends Championship and fifth at the MCB Mauritius Legends, where he held the outright lead going into the final day.
Speaking during that week in Mauritius, Farrelly reflected on both the privilege and intensity of competing at Legends Tour level, drawing motivation from the depth of experience around him and the opportunity to test himself against players he had long admired.
“Meeting guys that I’ve watched on TV when I was young was amazing – and the next thing I’m playing with them. They’ve been around for 20 and 30 years, so they’re not here by chance. I’m a bit disappointed not to have kept my card but I can’t control what others do. So Q-School will once again be about trying to play the best I can and seeing what happens.”
Farrelly will also be joined by former Q-School winner Yokota and three-time Legends Tour champion Shacklady, plus the likes of Jyoti Randhawa, Michael Jonzon, Greig Hutcheon and Gary Murphy. Their presence highlights just how competitive life at the top of senior golf has become, with proven winners once again forced to battle for a limited number of cards.
Also returning is Mark Mouland, who arrives in Turkey on the back of a confidence-boosting finish to the 2025 season. Mouland led after the opening round of the MCB Mauritius Legends before going on to secure a top-10 finish, form that positions him well heading into Q-School.
The 2026 Qualifying School will be played as a single-stage event, beginning on Saturday 17th January 2026:
Rounds one and two split across the Old and New Courses
Cut after 36 holes to the top 72 players and ties
Further cut after round three to players within 10 shots of fourth place
Top four after 72 holes earn full playing rights for the 2026 Legends Tour season
With returning winners, breakout performers and established contenders all chasing the same goal, the Legends Tour Qualifying School once again promises drama, quality and career-defining moments — set against the world-class backdrop of Belek, Turkey.
The Legends Tour Q-School 2026 is proudly supported by Staysure and its Dream Big movement. Q-School embodies Staysure’s Dream Big belief: that ambition has no age limit. It’s a stage for players whose experience, resilience and judgement have been earned over decades — and who are still pursuing competition, purpose and progress.
Stay up-to-date with tournament information at www.legendstour.com and discover Dream Big at staysure.co.uk/dream-big
