GOLF DIGEST:FIVE-TIMES FORMER champion Tom Watson will be able to play in the British Open beyond next year after the exemption rule was amended by the Royal and Ancient golf club yesterday.

The new rule states that any past champion finishing in the top 10 in any of the five previous years gains a five-year exemption, meaning the 60-year-old American’s runner-up finish this year guarantees him entry until 2014.

Watson would have been spared from qualifying next year anyway under the old rules which guaranteed former winners an exemption until the age of 60. However, that would have been his last year with an automatic spot.

Twice Australian champion Greg Norman, 54, finished third last year.

“We have introduced this exemption as a direct response to seeing two of our champions, both in their 50s, challenging to win our championship these last two years,” Peter Dawson, chief executive of the R and A, said.

• US PRESIDENTS Cup captain Fred Couples is to play in next month's Australian Open. The former world number one and 1992 US Masters champion has not played the Australian Open since 1998 but said he would tee off in the December 3rd-6th event at the New South Wales Golf Club in Sydney.

Couples will join fellow Americans John Daly, Steve Marino, Kevin Stadler and Bryce Molder in the field.

• THONGCHAI Jaidee has won an unprecedented third Asia Tour Order of Merit crown. The Thai added the 2009 honour to the 2001 and 2004 crowns when he fought off China's Liang Wenchong at the Hong Kong Open on Sunday.

Liang had needed at least a second place finish to retain hope of a second order of merit title but finished tied for 11th with Thongchai.

“The competition is getting tougher and tougher each year and to win it again shows my game is improving each year as well,” said Thongchai, who took his season’s earnings to an unassailable €652,000 with two events left.