The Royal and Ancient Golf Club has announced venues and dates for International Final Qualifying (IFQ) which will be introduced for the 2004 Open Championship to be played at Royal Troon Golf Club from July 15-18.
IFQ competitions will be played in Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and the United States, starting on Thursday 8 January and Friday 9 January with 36 holes qualifying at the Atlantic Beach Golf Club, Cape Town, South Africa.
Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne hosts the next IFQ on January 19 and 20 and the Asian qualifier at Saujana Golf & Country Club, Kuala Lumpur takes place two months later on March 30 and 31.
Each of the first three IFQ’’s will have a minimum of four places into the Open Championship at Royal Troon but from the European and American IFQ’’s, there will be at least 12 places available from each day.
The European qualifier will be played over Sunningdale Old and New Courses on June 28, the same day as the American IFQ on the Gold and Blue courses at the Congressional Country Club, Maryland.
Regional Qualifying (RQ) will be retained at 16 venues and Local Final Qualifying (LFQ) will still take place at Glasgow (Gailes), Irvine, Turnberry Kintyre and Western Gailes on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 July. A total of 12 places will be available from LFQ.
"By introducing five International Final Qualifying competitions throughout the world, we will make it easier for world ranked players who might not otherwise be exempt, to attempt to qualify for the Open" said Michael Tate, Assistant Secretary of the R&A.
"It might seem that with only 12 places from Local Final Qualifying it is going to be much harder for amateurs and club professionals to play in the Open. However we have carefully analysed data from recent championships and have concluded that most world ranked players will opt to play in one of the IFQ’’s, leaving the LFQ’’s for players with less or no world ranking points. If anything, it should therefore be no more difficult, and in fact may be easier for amateurs and club professionals to gain one of the exempt places from LFQ."
International Final Qualifying Dates and Venues:-
AFRICA
Venue: Atlantic Beach Golf Club, Cape Town, South Africa
Date: Thursday 8 & Friday 9 January 2004
Entries Close: 4 December 2003
AUSTRALASIA
Venue: Kingston Heath Golf Club, Melbourne, Australia
Date: Monday 19 & Tuesday 20 January 2004
Entries Close: 11 December 2003
ASIA
Venue: Saujana Golf & Country Club, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Date: Tuesday 30 & Wednesday 31 March 2004
Entries Close: 19 February 2004
EUROPE
Venue: Sunningdale Golf Club (Old and New Courses), Berkshire, England
Date: Monday 28 June 2004
Entries Close: 27 May 2004
AMERICA
Venue: Congressional Country Club (Gold and Blue Courses), Maryland, U.S.A
Date: Monday 28 June 2004
Entries Close: 27 May 2004
