2026 AUSTRALIAN MASTERS

Twenty of the top players will play the Australian Masters as a round robin in somewhere. At the same time, teams of three players from each of seven states or territories play the State Team Challenge as head-to-head matches.

Rule variation

Masters section has 5 point penalty for each word challenged but correct.

The contenders

The table below shows the teams according to qualification criteria set by the Council of the Australian Scrabble Players Association. A player must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. Temporary visa holders are not eligible.
IMPORTANT: Selection processes will now give priority to Australian players who have told CASPA that they will attend or might attend. Send an email to barry.harridge@gmail.com with the subject line including AMSC25, and an indication of YES, NO or MAYBE. Any Australian ASPA member may ask to be considered, not just the ones listed as contenders.

Australian Masters

The selection comprises the best twenty active players (those players who have played at least one game during the qualification period) ranked by Q statistic.

State Team Challenge

Each state team will comprise three eligible players who have not already been selected for the Masters event and are the next best three from their state, ranked by Q statistic.
If insufficient eligible players are available … If insufficient eligible players are available, the state will not be permitted to participate in the State Team Challenge for that year unless a maximum of one stand-in can be fielded before the tournament from any state (generally, but not necessarily, that state in which the tournament takes place). That stand-in must also meet the above criteria.
An eligible stand-in may also be fielded in the event of illness or other unforeseen circumstance during the tournament.

Selection by ratings

The primary criterion for ranking candidates is the Q statistic
Details

Players may appeal to CASPA for a special dispensation in exceptional circumstances. In the event of any unforeseen issue the decision of CASPA is final.






Australian Masters


Contender
Q Stat
18.01.2026
Games
need 40
Peak (games)
Jul to Oct
Peak (games)
Nov to Feb
Peak (games)
Mar to Jun

David Eldar
2163.0066 2229(49)2097(17)

Jakob Teitelbaum
2043.0019 2043(19)

Andrew Fisher
2008.5039 2008(32)2009(7)

Cameron Farlow
1943.0099 1930(66)1956(33)

Edward Okulicz
1937.0094 1911(68)1963(26)

Peter Kougi
1923.007 1923(7)

Naween Fernando
1919.0056 1931(39)1907(17)

Ayorinde Saidu
1904.0042 1919(32)1889(10)

Josh Watt
1871.0026 1871(26)

Esther Perrins
1832.5085 1806(68)1859(17)

Ryan Sutton
1805.5085 1836(68)1775(17)

Bob Jackman
1802.00136 1807(110)1797(26)

Trevor Halsall
1802.0083 1794(68)1810(15)

Joanne Craig
1794.50113 1858(89)1731(24)

Rod Talbot
1765.50136 1746(95)1785(41)

Nick Ivanovski
1761.0026 1761(26)

Oscar Ivanovski
1741.0092 1728(61)1754(31)

Adam Kretschmer
1740.5011 1748(6)1733(5)

Tony Hunt
1739.00133 1806(92)1672(41)

State Challenge


Contender
Q Stat
18.01.2026
Games
need 40
Peak (games)
Jul to Oct
Peak (games)
Nov to Feb
Peak (games)
Mar to Jun
ACT1
John Spaan
1732.0067 1709(34)1755(33)
ACT2
Ronnie Bennett
1727.0082 1759(57)1695(25)
ACT3
Noel Barrett
1727.0061 1725(52)1729(9)
ACT4
John Hamilton
1667.50105 1661(81)1674(24)
ACT5
Tim Reddan
1400.5073 1390(41)1411(32)
ACT6
Lexia Smallwood
1381.0063 1388(26)1374(37)
NSW1
Victor Tung
1726.0036 1704(19)1748(17)
NSW2
John Holgate
1680.50112 1697(69)1664(43)
NSW3
Dianne Brumby
1573.0068 1573(68)
NSW4
Garth van Vliet
1561.0094 1608(68)1514(26)
NSW5
Jyoti Chandna
1531.0068 1529(27)1533(41)
NSW6
Rocky Sharma
1503.0032 1503(32)
QLD1
Carmel Dodd
1691.50152 1673(112)1710(40)
QLD2
Karen Richards
1672.50184 1708(134)1637(50)
QLD3
Sam Amarasinghe
1648.00*0 1648(0)
QLD4
Ryan Anderson
1606.0016 1606(16)
QLD5
Julie Brice
1587.0062 1587(62)
QLD6
Paul Richards
1528.00178 1536(119)1520(59)
SA1
Daniel Piechnick
1734.5041 1712(24)1757(17)
SA2
Max Mason
1731.0040 1754(34)1708(6)
SA3
Tony Miller
1651.5031 1646(24)1657(7)
SA4
Jane Taylor
1616.50136 1693(126)1540(10)
SA5
Antony Kimber
1477.5057 1497(40)1458(17)
SA6
Michael Vnuk
1424.0041 1460(29)1388(12)
TAS1
Stephen Mooney Purse
1701.5023 1703(18)1700(5)
TAS2
Jon Ford-King
1571.5055 1545(44)1598(11)
TAS3
Martin Rose
1452.0031 1470(26)1434(5)
TAS4
Khen Meerding
1408.508 1409(4)1408(4)
TAS5
Margaret Webb
1393.008 1391(4)1395(4)
TAS6
Margaret Griggs
1308.5065 1319(58)1298(7)
VIC1
Michael Hornung
1689.50*4 1582(0)1797(4)
VIC2
Geoff Wright
1605.5076 1593(43)1618(33)
VIC3
Nat Podesser
1531.5076 1524(69)1539(7)
VIC4
Chris Scholten
1517.007 1517(7)
VIC5
Ray Alford
1478.007 1478(7)
VIC6
Carol Johnsen
1439.0090 1425(73)1453(17)