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British Open allows women to enter
QUICKVOTELONDON, England -- The world's top women golfers will be able to enter the British Open championship for the first time in a ground-breaking move announced by organizers. Next year's entry will no longer restrict the event to "any male professional golfer" or "male amateur golfer whose playing handicap does not exceed scratch". Instead, any woman finishing in the top five of any of their four majors can try for the British Open at Hoylake next July through regional and final qualifying. Because the final women's major, the British Women's Open, does not take place until after its male counterpart in 2006, the top five from this year's tournament are already eligible. This includes world number one Annika Sorenstam of Sweden and Hawaiian teenage sensation Michelle Wie, who has recently turned professional. In addition to performance in their majors, any women meeting the entry requirements for international qualifying, final qualifying and the British Open itself can enter at these stages directly. For instance, if 16-year-old Wie was again invited to the John Deere Classic on the U.S. Tour and was the leading non-exempt player she would go straight through to compete in the British Open. Peter Dawson, chief executive of Royal and Ancient golf club who run golf's oldest major, said the new qualification criteria was designed to protect the integrity of the event. "Our championship committee pledged to review entry conditions and to assess how women golfers might compete on equal terms with men for a place in the Open. "As a result I am delighted that a qualification route has now been established for the best women players to gain access to the championship, competing alongside men on the same courses and from the same tees," he said. Debating pointThe issue of women being able to play against men has been a matter of debate for the past two years, ever since world number one Sorenstam became the first female to play on the U.S. Tour since 1945. Other sponsors saw the potential and while Laura Davies' European tour appearance in Australia saw her finish last but one, Wie really got people talking again when she missed the cut by only one stroke at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January last year. She was only 14 at the time. Two more appearances on the U.S. Tour have followed this season, as well as attempts to qualify for the U.S. Open and Masters, and in signing multi-million dollar contracts on turning professional last week Wie made it clear she still wants to take on the men in the future. Thursday's move brings the British Open in line with the other three men's majors, which do not discriminate against women in their entry criteria. Last year, the R&A said it was not opposed to the principle of women playing in the Open and that teenage prodigy Michelle Wie could have booked her place in the field for St Andrews had she won the PGA Tour's John Deere Classic in July. Wie, who turned 16 on Tuesday, is making her debut as a professional this week at the LPGA Tour's Samsung World Championship. Next year's British Open will be played at Royal Liverpool Golf Club (Hoylake) in north-west England from July 20 to 23. 
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