R&A Scraps Open Spot For Asian Tour Order Of Merit Winner
Governing body delivers crushing blow as speculation mounts that move is in response to Asian Tour's recent partnership with new Saudi-backed investors
The R&A has delivered a bombshell on the Asian Tour by stripping its Order of Merit winner exemption for the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews next year.
According to Australian Golf Digest sources, R&A Chief Executive Martin Slumbers informed Asian Tour executives of the governing body's decision via email on Friday, with the Tour passing on the sudden news to its players' committee.
Speculation continues to grow that the R&A has made its decision because of the recent Saudi-backed LIV Golf Investments venture, which is pouring £200million into a new 10-event series on the Asian Tour over the next ten years, with two-time Open champion Greg Norman as LGI's chairman.
In a statement to Australian Golf Digest, the R&A said: “We review and update our exemptions from time to time and any changes are considered carefully by our championships' committee.”
The news will be a huge blow for the Asian Tour, which only recently added the New Zealand Open to its list of Open Qualifying events, a significant step after two years of navigating the Covid-19 pandemic.
DP World Tour player Wade Ormsby currently leads the Asian Tour money list by $10,000 from Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai with only two tournaments remaining, but would see his exemption route to playing at St Andrews effectively blocked.
Speaking to the PGA of Australia recently, Ormsby, a former European Tour winner, said: “[An Order of Merit title] is something that would be great to have on the resume along with the long exemptions that go with it and the opportunities that could open for you.
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“The chance to win an Order of Merit is something that doesn’t come along too often in people’s careers, so that’s definitely my main motivation at this point.”
The one upside for the Asian Tour is that, although it has lost its one and only independent Open exemption category, three tournaments it co-sanctions still retain qualifying rights – SMBC Singapore Open (co-sanctioned with Japan Tour), Kolon Korea Open (Korean Golf Association) and the recently added New Zealand Open (PGA Tour of Australasia).
Matt joined Golf Monthly in February 2021 covering weekend news, before also transitioning to equipment and testing. After freelancing for Golf Monthly and The PGA for 18 months, he was offered a full-time position at the company in October 2022 and continues to cover weekend news and social media, as well as help look after Golf Monthly’s many buyers’ guides and equipment reviews.
Taking up the game when he was just seven years of age, Matt made it into his county squad just a year later and continues to play the game at a high standard, with a handicap of around 2-4. To date, his best round came in 2016, where he shot a six-under-par 66 having been seven-under through nine holes. He currently plays at Witney Lakes in Oxfordshire and his favourite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.
Matt’s current What’s In The Bag?
Driver: Honma TW747, 8.75°
Fairway Wood: TaylorMade Rocketballz Stage 2, 15°, 19°
Hybrid: Adams Super Hybrid, 22°
Irons: Mizuno MP54, 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Tour Satin, 50°, 56°, 60°
Putter: Cleveland TFI 2135 Satin Cero
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
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