User:Jopal22/sandbox/The Open Championship format and qualification

The Open Championship qualification, first introduced in 1907, is the process that a player goes through to qualify for The Open Championship. The Open Championship is the oldest golf competition in the world, and generally regarded as one of the most prestigious. The qualifying structure is designed to reduce more than 2,500 entrants on five continents, to a field size of 156 competing in the tournament.

In the modern era, the main way players qualify is by an exemption due to their performance in major golf tours, major tournaments, or their position in the official world golf rankings. For those who are not exempt, they can qualify by performing well in the Open Qualifying Series of international sanctioned tournaments, or via local qualifying in the UK.

The format of the final tournament was originally 36 holes played on a single day, but has evolved to the current format of four days of 18 holes, with the lowest scoring golfers cut after the first 36 holes.

Current Qualifying Process
Players can qualify one of four ways, an exemption, via the Open Qualifying Series (OQS), via local qualifying, or if the field size has not reached 156, being one of the highest rated players in the official golf rankings that is not already qualified.

Exemption Qualifiers
Around 65% of the field is exempt from qualifying. Not all those eligible for entry will compete (e.g. older previous Open winners, and injured players). The current criteria for an exemption is:

1. Previous Open Champions aged 60 or under on the final day of the tournament (Each year a number of past champions choose not to compete)

2. Winners of selected tournaments (for the number of previous years shown in parenthesis)

The Open (10), Masters (5), PGA Championship (5), U.S. Open (5), The Players (3), BMW PGA Championship (3), Open de Argentina (1), Japan Open (1), The Senior Open (1).

3. Top 10 and ties from the previous year's Open Championship

4. Top 50 in the Official World Golf Rankings for Week 21 (the Open is Week 29)

5. Top finishers in the previous season of selected golf tours

European Tour's Race to Dubai (30), PGA Tour's FedEx Cup (30), Japan Golf Tour (2), PGA Tour of Australasia (1), Sunshine Tour (1).

6. Performance in the current year on selected golf tours for Week 25

European Tour (Top 5 not already exempt, within the top 20), PGA Tour (Top 5 not already exempt, within the top 20), Japan Golf Tour (Top 2 not already exempt).

7. Current holders of selected amateur titles (if they are still amateurs)

Amateur Champion, U.S. Amateur Champion, European Amateur Champion, Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion, Mark H. McCormack Medal.

Open Qualifying Series
Around 22% of the field qualify via the Open Qualifying Series. It was introduced in 2014 and replaced international qualifying events run by the Open. Qualifying is available to the leading players (not otherwise exempt) who finish in the top n and ties, in around twelve events run by several international golf tour. Currently (as at 2019) the Open Series Qualifying events are:

Local Qualifying
Currently twelve qualifiers ( 8% of the field ) come through local qualifying in the United Kingdom. Local qualifying begins with 13 events, of 36 holes occurring on a single day just over three weeks before the Open Championship. A week later the best performers then progress to final qualifying, where there are 4 events, of 36 holes occurring on a single day, with three qualifiers from each event.

Alternates
If the field size has not reached 156, then the highest ranked players not already qualified are offered a spot in the Open.

Current Format
Field: 156 players

Basic Format: 72 hole stroke play. Play 18 holes a day over four days, weather permitting.

Date of Tournament: Starts on the day before the third Friday in July.

Tournament Days: Thursday to Sunday.

Tee off times: Each player has one morning and one afternoon tee time in first two days in groups of three, which are mostly randomised (with some organiser discretion). Groupings of two on the last two days with last place going off first and leaders going out last.

Cut: After 36 holes, only top 70 and ties play the final 36 holes.

Playoff: If there is a tie for the lead after 72 holes, a four-hole aggregate playoff is held; followed by sudden death if the lead is still tied.

History of qualification and format
Qualifying was first introduced from 1907, except 1910-1911, where a 36 hole cut was made instead. 1926 was the first year where there was both a cut and qualifying, and this has been the situation ever since. Qualifying generally happened the day before or shortly before the Open, and everyone was required to qualify until 1962. In 1963 exemptions from qualification began, mainly for past champions, but this has now expanded to cover a multitude of achievement and most of the field now qualify by exemption. In the 1980's, the R&A was concerned that it's process was not adequately allowing for players which played on multiple tours, and so actively brought about what is now known as the Official World Golf Ranking s to use as part of the exemption process.

In 2008 international qualifying was introduced, which meant that players did not have to travel to the UK to participate in qualifying. This was replaced in 2014 by the Open Qualifying Series, which gave qualifying spots to the best performers in existing global golf events.

The biggest change to the format of the tournament was in 1892 when the tournament was expanded from 36 holes to 72 holes. Another notable change in the rules was making it mandatory to use the "bigger" ball (as was used in America) in 1974.

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