Preferred Lies January 2008

Age limit changes could mean St Andrews swansong for Watson

By John MacDonald

Barring an unexpected upturn in form, Tom Watson’s last opportunity to play in the Open Championship he has won five times will come at St Andrews in 2010.

The American, whose connections with golf’s oldest major date back to Carnoustie in 1975 when he won at his first attempt, will be 60 at the time of the next St Andrews Open. And in line with new age limit rules – dropping by five years – that will be his last exemption as a former champion.

Although Turnberry in 2009 would be an appropriate place to retire – he won the 1977 Open in a head-to-head there with Jack Nicklaus that became known as Duel in the Sun – St Andrews will also have its appeal, as he will be able to say his farewell on the Swilcan Bridge like Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer before him.

It also means that Australian Greg Norman, a two-time winner, would have his Open swansong at St Andrews if it returns there in 2015, as it will do if the current five-year cycle remains.

Former champions would, of course, be eligible to play beyond 60 through either the qualifying process or current form exemptions but prospects through these channels would be slight.

The new rule will be phased in starting at next year’s Open at Royal Birkdale. Those currently between 60 and 65 will be allowed to carry on until they are 65, which gives, for example, England’s Tony Jacklin a stay of execution until 2009 if he chooses to exercise his right.

Allowing ageing former winners, extended exemptions (at the Masters it’s for life) has been a controversial practice in recent years, caused by a mixture of nostalgia for all-time greats, in particular Palmer, and a dogged refusal by such players to accept they have gone beyond their time.

There is an argument that this latest move does not go far enough and that the R&A continues to operate double standards. When they allowed entry two years ago to the best women players at regional qualifying level, they set such a stringent test on the grounds of not letting standards slip that none have so far entered.

There is no change for women, but in addition to allowing former champions up to age 60 into the final field they are also extending exemptions to male amateurs.

The runners-up in the Amateur and US Amateur championships and the European Amateur championship will be exempt from regional qualifying.

So, too, will the 10 highest- ranked entrants, not otherwise exempt, on the R&A world amateur golf ranking.

One player who will hardly notice this change is current champion 36-year-old Padraig Harrington, whose exemptions have been reduced to the next 24 Opens.

The Dubliner, who ended a barren run of majors for Europeans dating back to 1999, has (not surprisingly) been named the 2007 European Tour’s golfer of the year.

He earned the majority vote of a panel comprising representatives of the Association of Golf Writers, television, radio and the European Tour. Argentina’s Angel Cabrera, winner of the US Open, and England’s Justin Rose, the European No 1, were also considered.