Tiger Woods has managed to prolong his career for a long time, but other champions like him may struggle to do so as a result of a new change of the rules.
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews has overhauled the amount of time former champions are exempt from qualifying. All ex-winners of the Open were exempt from qualifying up until they turn 60.
From 2024 onwards, the age of exemption has been dramatically reduced to 55. Woods will not be impacted by this rule change due to the fact he has already won the competition.
This means he will be able to compete in the major without qualifying for the next 12 years. It will come as a relief to the three-time winner, who these days tends to save himself for the major competitions on the calendar.