Defending Australian Open champion Peter Senior has welcomed new qualifying procedures for the 2014 (British) Open Championship commencing at this week’s event at Royal Sydney.

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R & A) as organisers of golf’s oldest major have done away with a 36-hole International Qualifiers.

Instead the R & A is introducing 72-hole qualifying through four national Open championship (Australian Open, Irish Open, French Open and Scottish Open), the Joburg Open in South Africa, two events in Asia, and three events on the PGA Tour (AT & T National, Greenbrier Classic and John Deere Classic).

The Claret Jug on the 1st tee of the Royal Sydney Golf Club. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)

A copy of the famed Claret Jug is in Sydney and will be on display on the first tee of the Royal Sydney Golf Club throughout this week’s Australian Open.

The top three place-getters finishing inside the top-10 this week, and not otherwise qualified for the 2014 Open, will earn places into next year’s Open Championship at Hoylake in Liverpool.

Senior competed in this year’s Open Championship after qualifying in January this year at an International Qualifier at the Kingston Heath club in Melbourne.

R & A’s Mike Woodcock holding the Claret Jug and flanked by Bernie McGuire (2nd left), ABC’s Peter Wilkins (left) and ABC’s Cricket Broadcaster Jim Maxwell (right) – Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)

“Everyone competing this week, who is not already into the 2014 Open, will be excited about the extra opportunity on offer this week,” said Senior.

“Of course, the main goal is winning the Australian Open but to tee up and see the Claret Jug sitting on the first tee will remind all of us what else can be the reward this week.”

Overseeing this change in qualifying for the Open Championship is the R & A’s newly appointed Chairman of the Championship Committee, Peter Unsworth.

New R & A Captain, Sandy Dawson with newly appointed Championship Chairman, Peter Unsworth. (Photo – www.golfbytour.miss.com)

“We are pleased to be launching this new qualifying series at the Emirates Australian Open and such an historic venue as Royal Sydney,” said Unsworth.

Mike Woodcock indicated the three players who do qualify for The Open will receive their ‘Hoylake’ Players Badge once the tournament has been decided.