AMENDMENTS TO ENTRY CRITERIA FOR THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2009

R&A Press Release

15 October 2008, St Andrews, Scotland: The R&A has announced that the entry criteria for The Open Championship have been amended for 2009. The changes mean that the top 30 players from both the European and PGA Tour will qualify automatically for next year’s Open.

Previously, the exemptions were limited to the top 20 from the European Tour Order of Merit and the PGA Tour’s money list from the previous season. The rule change means that all 30 players who qualify for the Tour Championship in the United States will earn places, as will the top 30 from the European Tour’s Order of Merit following the season-ending Volvo Masters in November.

“The R&A continues to monitor the ever changing golfing world and our Championship Committee aims to reflect this in the exemptions into The Open Championship,” said Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of The R&A.

A number of other changes have been made to the exemption categories; IFQ - Europe will have a smaller field with 96 players playing for 10 places in the Championship; the field for IFQ - America will be 78 with 8 places available; IFQ Australasia and IFQ Africa will each have 3 places available.

The dates for International Final Qualifying are as follows:

IFQ – Africa
Royal Durban Golf Club, Durban, South Africa
3 – 4 February 2009

IFQ – Australasia
Kingston Heath Golf Club, Melbourne, Australia
10 February 2009

IFQ - Asia
Sentosa Golf Club, Sentosa, Singapore
TBC

IFQ – America
Gleneagles Country Club, Plano, Texas, USA
25 May 2009

IFQ - Europe
Sunningdale Golf Club, England
8 June 2009

The full list of changes to the entry criteria are listed here:

E. ENTRY AT LOCAL FINAL QUALIFYING STAGE is open to:

(11) The 2008 English, Scottish and Welsh Amateur Champions.
(12) The 2009 Irish Amateur Champion. Blank entry will be made for this category.

F. PLAYERS EXEMPT FROM REGIONAL, LOCAL FINAL AND INTERNATIONAL FINAL QUALIFYING

(5) First 30 in the PGA European Tour Final Order of Merit for 2008
(15) The starting field (30) of THE TOUR Championship of 2008
(21) First and anyone tying for 1st place on the Order of Merit of the Tour of Australasia for 2008

Exception removed for 2009

(23) The Canadian Open Champion