Open rule change benefits Watson

Watson was inches away from winning a sixth Open title last year

Tom Watson could play in the Open beyond 2010 after a rule change extends the entry age for ex-champions with a recent top-10 finish in the major.

Under the old rules, Watson would have lost his exemption from qualifying next summer as he has since turned 60.

But now a top-10 finish by a former champion in any of the previous five Opens will guarantee them an entry.

The change comes after Watson's runner-up performance last year as well as the third-place finish by Greg Norman, 54.

American Watson was one putt away from lifting a record-equalling sixth Claret Jug at Turnberry in July - and at 59 would have been the oldest major winner of all-time by a staggering 11 years.

Round-up - Day four at the Open

"We have introduced this new category as a direct response to seeing two of our great Open champions, both in their fifties, challenging to win our championship these last two years," explained Peter Dawson, the R&A chief executive.

"We rightly reduced the age of exemption for past champions from 65 to 60 in 2007 and our intention was never to remove players still at the top of their game from competing in The Open."

Watson needed to par the last hole in July, but went just over the green, putted nine feet past and missed the return.

The bogey sent him into a four-hole play-off with compatriot Stewart Cink, who won it comfortably by six strokes.