The Greenbrier Classic and French Open are the big losers in changes to the 2013 Open Championship qualifying.
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R & A), as organisers of golf’s oldest Major, announced changes to qualifying starting for this year’s 142nd Open at Muirfield to the east of Edinburgh in Scotland.
In past years the leading player among the top five finishers in the PGA Tour’s Greenbrier Classic and John Deere Classic and the European Tour’s French Open and following week’s Scottish Open, if not already exempt, gained automatic entry into the year’s third Major.
However the R & A has now dropped the Greenbrier Classic and French Open from their list of 29 different qualifying criteria.
Peter Dawson, CEO at the R & A announcing changes to Open Championship qualifying.
Indeed the R& A announced four changes to Open Championship qualifying criteria.
“The first one relates to the events immediately prior to The Open and on the European Tour they are the French Open and the Scottish Open, and on the PGA Tour they are the Greenbrier Classic and John Deere Classic,” said Peter Dawson, CEO at the R & A.
“In past years we have given a spot into The Open for the player finishing in the top-five that was not otherwise exempt.
“So we’ve cut back on the European Tour to include only the Scottish Open champion and on the PGA Tour, only the winner of the John Deere Classic.
“Both the Scottish Open and the John Deere Classic are the events immediately prior to The Open.”
And the Japan Tour has not escaped the R & As notice as in the past the top two finishers on the Japan Tour Order of Merit, also not exempt, were afforded automatic entry to The Open.
“That scenario could take you down to the third and fourth player on the Japan money list but we’ve cut that back to just the top-two only whether they are previously exempt or not.
“The last change is that the number of qualifiers from the International Final Qualifier at Sunningdale has been reduced from 10 to nine.”
Dawson revealed that at one stage last year in the week’s leading up to The Open at Royal Lytham and St. Annes they had 161 entrants and six more than the standard 156-player field.
It was only through withdrawals and player injuries the R & A managed to get the number back to 156.
“We got something of a fright at Lytham last year and it was this situation that caused us to look at the exemption criteria for this year and cut them back as we have, albeit very slightly, added Dawson.
“It is almost impossible to access the number of qualifiers we will end up with but a feel a little safer at that number and if there are other vacant spots and criteria available and then we will go into the World Rankings then we will see what happens.”
Dawson was speaking today (MON) at the Muirfield course that will be hosting The Open for a 16th occasion from 18th to 21st July, 2013.
Competitors will arrive to find the course, that first hosted The Open in 1892, that has been lengthened by 158-yards since Ernie Els won the 2002 Open.
Major changes include four new championship tees at the second, fourth, ninth, 14th, 15th, 17th and 18th holes while there a number of bunkers moved.
Dawson revealed golf course designer, Martin Hawtree oversaw the changes and the same person who is overseeing changes to the famed Old Course at St. Andrews.
