"Our goal with exemptions is to always provide the most competitivefields for our national amateur championships," said Brent McLaughlin,Golf Canada's Director of Rules, Competitions and Amateur Status. "Weregularly review our exemption categories and believe that extendingthese exemptions to the Dixie Amateur champions beginning in 2013 willlead to stronger fields and more exciting championships."

"We are thrilled that Golf Canada has such high regard for the DixieAmateur that they would make this generous offer," said Dixie AmateurTournament Director Dave Salerno. "To be exempt into Canada's nationalchampionship is a very special honor."

As an additional gesture, Golf Canada graciously invited the 2011 Dixiechampions, Curtis Thompson and Paula Reto, both of Coral Springs, Fla.,to play in Canada's national amateur championships this summer. Thewomen will compete July 24-27 at the Lethbridge Country Club in Albertaand the men will play Aug. 7-10 at Camelot Golf and Country Club andClub de golf Outaouais in the Ottawa, Ontario, area.

The winner of the Canadian Men's Amateur receives an exemption into theRBC Canadian Open, a PGA Tour event, and the Royale Cup Canadian Women'sAmateur champion is exempt into the CN Canadian Women's Open, an LPGAevent.

This year, the men's Dixie Amateur, first played in 1924, will takeplace Dec. 18-21 at Heron Bay Golf Club in Coral Springs and WoodlandsCountry Club in nearby Tamarac. The women's Dixie will be held Dec.28-Jan. 1 at Heron Bay.

The Dixie Amateur is organized and conducted by ClubLink, which ownsHeron Bay, Woodlands, and more than 50 other championship courses inFlorida, Ontario, and Quebec. Over the years, ClubLink courses havehosted many top-level amateur championships, as well as PGA Tour, LPGA,Champions Tour, Nationwide Tour, and Canadian Tour events.