The Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club is to stage one of the final qualifying tournaments for the Open Championship every year from 2014.

In a significant change of procedure, the R&A, who organise the Open, have announced that from 2014, instead of holding the four FQTs at courses close to where the Open is being played, they will be held every year at four fixed venues – the Royal Cinque Ports, which hosted one of the FQTs for this year’s Open at Sandwich, Glasgow Gailes, Southport’s Hillside course and Woburn in Bedfordshire.

Rhodri Price, the R&A’s Assistant Director of Championships, said: "This alteration to the qualifying make-up will offer a more geographically convenient way for competitors seeking to achieve a starting place in the Open Championship. Players will compete for three Open places at each venue."