The Royal & Ancient Golf Club in St Andrews in Scotland today announced the introduction of up to 10 new exemptions for players worldwide hoping to play in the Open Championship.
The aim is to make the selection process for the Open more reflective of current form around the time the Championship is played.
Starting with this year’s Open to be played at Royal Lytham & St Annes in July, players who display form in the immediate weeks running up to the Championship will benefit more under the new revised exemptions.
R&A Championship Secretary David Hill confirmed: "We have taken the opportunity to review all the exemption categories with the intention of giving more emphasis to players who are in form close to the Open."
Therefore the Loch Lomond Invitational - played the week before the Open - has been allocated an additional eight exempt places by the European Tour this year.
On the other side of the Atlantic the Advil Western Open will be allocated the same additions by the US PGA Tour.
In terms of the US event Hill said: "We believe this will make it easier for more middle-ranking American players to play in the Open and strengthen the overall field."
Additionally, the "current form" exemptions from regular tour events for both the European and US PGA Tour have increased from five players in the top 20 to seven players in the top 25 for a limited period.
The exemption increase will begin on the European Tour from the Volvo Masters in the last week of May - eight weeks before the Open.