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One of golf’s governing bodies, the R&A, announced changes to their exemption criteria sure to have an impact.
The 2024 Open Championship will bring with it a number of sweeping changes later this year.
Wednesday morning, the R&A (Royal & Ancient) announced three changes to qualifying criteria beginning in 2024.
The change sure to have the largest impact is that of lowering the age of Champions’ exemptions. Winners of the Open Championship will only earn exemptions until the age of 55, lowered from 60.
But that only affects winners from here on out.
Past winners who would be nearing the cutoff like Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington will not be affected.
Mickelson, a six-time major winner and 2013 Open champion, is 52 years old. The ‘Father Time’ clock may be ticking if he wants to improve upon his standing all-time, but that catch at least provides ample opportunity for him to add to his major totals.
Mickelson won the 2021 PGA Championship, becoming the oldest major champion ever. That earned him five years’ exemptions into all majors. But once that expires, with LIV Golf having no access to the Official World Golf Rankings, may have a difficult time getting into some of the other majors.
Beyond that, a new exemption category has been created, which could provide opportunity for other members of LIV to qualify.
The R&A “will offer players competing on the Asian Tour, the Japan Golf Tour, the PGA Tour of Australasia and the Sunshine Tour the opportunity to qualify” for the Open, they wrote in a press release.
There are a number of players on LIV who compete on some of those international tours.
They also announced that the Africa Amateur champion will earn a spot in the field going forth.
Kendall Capps is the Senior Editor of SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social media platforms.
