Leading Players Will Not Have To Qualify

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30338, 14 January 1964, Page 6

Leading Players Will Not Have To Qualify

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

LONDON, January 13. The world’s top golfers will be exempted from qualifying for the 1964 British open at St. Andrews. Two 36-hole qualifying tournaments will be played over the New and Eden courses on July 3 and 4. The 72-hole championship will be decided over the old course from July 8 to 10. Prize money will remain at £B2OO, and the championship field will be restricted to 120.

Players to be exempted from qualifying are:— The first 20 and anyone tying for twentieth place in the 1963 open; and The first 30 and anyone tying for thirtieth place in P.G.A. order of merit for 1963; and

The last 10 British open champions, the last five British amateur champions, the last 10 United States open champions, the last five United States amateur champions; and The first 30 money-winners and any tying for thirtieth place in the United States P.G.A. official list for one year ending with the P.G.A. tournament immediately before the dosing date of United States open entries. Three Australians come within the terms of the listformer winners Peter Thomson and Kel Nagle , and Frank Phillips, who finished equal nineteenth last year. So does 1963 open champion, R. J. Charles, the New Zealand left-hander, who is certain to defend his title.