Patrick Cantlay has locked up a spot in next year’s Open Championship, thanks to changes in qualifying announced Wednesday by the R&A.
Among the new criteria, the recipient of the McCormack Medal – awarded to the top player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking at the end of the amateur season – is exempt into the Open Championship. The UCLA sophomore won the award for 2011 and, now with it, a place in the field at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in 2012.
Another new exemption has been added for past major championship winners. If not already exempt into the game’s oldest major, they will now have entry into final qualifiers.