Tom Watson will be able to go on playing in The Open beyond next year's championship at St Andrews.

The American 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.

Now 60, Watson would have lost his past champions exemption next summer under the old rules, but the Royal and Ancient Club have responded not just to his performance, but also that of 54-year-old Greg Norman, who at Birkdale last year led with nine holes to play before eventually finishing third.

A new entry category has been introduced for the 2010 Open which exempts from qualifying any past champion who finished in the top 10 and ties in any of the previous five Opens, thus effectively providing them with a five-year exemption.

"We have introduced this 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.

The drama came on the same course where Watson beat Jack Nicklaus for the second of his five titles way back in 1977.