Starting with this year's tournaments, the reigning U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women's Amateur champions will be able to utilize their exemptions in the following year's U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open even if they decide to turn pro.
In the past, the reigning winners of the amateur championships received exemptions in the U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open only if they maintained their amateur status.
The U.S.G.A. announced the decision on Monday, one day after PGA Tour rookie Viktor Hovland fell just 67 points shy of qualifying for the FedEx Cup Playoffs and earning his Tour card for next season.