A long shot has officially earned a spot in the 2026 Masters.

On Sunday, Naoyuki Kataoka, the 500th-ranked player in the world, won the Japan Open at Nikko Country Club on the Japan Golf Tour, which punched a ticket to next year’s Masters and British Open. 

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

It had been a turbulent few years for Kataoka. He hasn’t won since the 2021 Japan Players Championship and, prior to last week, only recorded two top 10s this season. 

But everything came together at the right time. In the Japan Open, he finished a 3 under with a final-round 68. He then clipped Satoshi Hara with a par on the first playoff hole. 

“I’ll work as hard as I can, prepare by April, and do my best to be able to compete,” said Kataoka, who has never played in a major. “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 Japan Players Championship win].”

Earlier this year, the Masters and R&A tweaked its qualification criteria. The champions of six national opens (Scottish Open, Spanish Open, Japan Open, Hong Kong Open, Australian Open and South African Open) now receive invitations to the Masters and British Open. 

“The Masters Tournament has long recognized the significance of having international representation among its invitees,” said Masters chairman Fred Ridley 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 organization’s collective vision of rewarding top talent around the world who rise to the top of historic national open championships. We hope this formal recognition shines a bright light on these players and the events they will represent at the Masters and The Open, beginning next year.”

That vision is now taking shape with Kataoka’s improbable win.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as World No. 500 to the Masters? Here’s How It Happened.

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