The cancellation of the NZ Open has had a positive knock-on effect for the men's Vic Open at 13th Beach.

The top-three finishers at the upcoming Vic Open will be rewarded with automatic starts at the 150th edition of the men's British Open at St Andrews in July.

The Vic Open has been included in The Open qualifying series for the first time, replacing the New Zealand Open, which was cancelled this year due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The men's field for the February 10-13 tournament includes 2006 US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy and rising star Jed Morgan, who claimed a dominant victory at last month's Australian PGA at Royal Queensland.

Morgan, 22, was the leading amateur in seventh spot overall the last time the Vic Open was contested at 13th Beach in early 2020.

The likes of fellow Australians Brad Kennedy, Dimi Papadatos, Brett Rumford, Matthew Griffin and Jake McLeod will also be eagerly chasing the vacancies at St Andrews.

No-one in the Vic Open field already has a guaranteed start at this year's British Open.

"This is a massive opportunity for our players in Australia," Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland said on Thursday.

"To think that it's the 150th Open, played at the home of golf, not to mention the oldest and most famous golf tournament on the planet.

"We're absolutely rapt that it was able to happen, albeit that we feel sympathy for our friends in New Zealand who unfortunately had to cancel their own Open."

A minimum of 46 places in The Open are available through the qualifying series, taking in events on a number of tours around the world also including the PGA Tour, the Japan Tour and the Asian Tour.

The men's and women's Vic Opens are played concurrently at the 36-hole 13th Beach layout.