In the news

Relaxed: By the USGA, the exemption standards for the reigning U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur champions. They no longer must remain amateur to play in the next year’s U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open, respectively. During the past decade, the USGA said that four of the men’s champions and…

Relaxed: By the USGA, the exemption standards for the reigning U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur champions. They no longer must remain amateur to play in the next year’s U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open, respectively. During the past decade, the USGA said that four of the men’s champions and three of the women’s winners declined their exemptions and turned professional. The U.S. Women’s Amateur began Monday at Old Waverly in West Point, Miss., and the U.S. Amateur will be played next week at Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort.