R&A official considers rule change ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) - The British Open may drop its ban on women players to theoretically allow the likes of Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie to take part. Peter Dawson, chief executive of the Royal and Ancient Club which organizes the 145-year-old championship, says he is in favor of amending its rules in line with the majors on the U.S. Tour so that women can enter. Also... The current rules state the tournament, being played this year at St. Andrews, is open to "any male professional or from a male amateur golfer whose playing handicap does not exceed scratch". But Dawson issued a brief statement on Wednesday saying a rule change to take out the word "male" was "under consideration by the Royal and Ancient Championship Committee". Dawson was recently quoted as saying the rule was in place because it was thought that women, who have their own tours and majors, wouldn't want to enter the men's Open. "If (the ban) really offends people then we would take it out," he told the Guardian newspaper in an interview. "In this instance the wording isn't serving any purpose, so I would support taking it out. "Not that I want to see the Open as a dual-sex event because golf at the elite level is not being played like that. That wording was put in place at a time when it was never thought that women would want to enter. The R&A is not in the business of keeping women out of the Open."