Open Exemption Conditions Changed

The conditions for exemptions into the Open have been extended to allow more golfers who run into a rich vein of form just before the championship to qualify.

The R&A is introducing a maximum of 10 new exemptions on both the US and European Tours, and the most significant impact involves the US Tour's Advil Western Open and the European Tour's Loch Lomond World Invitational. Both events, which take place during the week before the Open, have been allocated eight additional exempt places.

"We have taken the opportunity to review all exemption categories," said
Championship secretary David Hill, "with the intention of giving more emphasis to players who are in form close to the open."