The exemption categories and guidelines are very specific - and for the amateurs often go away if you turn professional
Have you ever wondered exactly what qualifies a person to skip Local Qualifying, or better yet skip both local AND Final Qualifying for the U.S. Open?
To satisfy that curiosity, we present you the following, courtesy of the USGA's PDF entry packet.
EXEMPT FROM LOCAL QUALIFYING
L-1. All former winners of the U.S. Open Championship.
L-2. From the 2019 & 2020 U.S. Open Championship, those returning scores for
72 holes.
L-3. Winners of the last five U.S. Senior Open Championships (2015-2019).
L-4. All former winners of the U.S. Amateur Championship and the runners-up
in 2017-2019 (must be an amateur).
L-5. Quarterfinalists from the 2019 & 2020 U.S. Amateur Championship
(must be an amateur).
L-6. Winners of the 2018 & 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur
Championships and the runners-up from 2019 (must be an amateur).
L-7. Winner of the 2019 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship (must be an amateur).
L-8. Playing members of the 2017, 2019 & 2021 United States and Great Britain &
Ireland Walker Cup and the 2016 & 2018 United States Men’s World Amateur
Teams (must be an amateur).
L-9. Playing members of the 2019 & 2021 United States and Great Britain & Ireland
Walker Cup Teams who turned professional.
L-10. Playing members of the 2018 United States Men’s World Amateur Team who
turned professional.
L-11. Winner and runner-up of the 2020 Latin America Amateur Championship.
(must be an amateur).
L-12. Winners of the 2020 Mark H. McCormack Medal and 2020 The Amateur
Championship and runner-up of the 2020 U.S. Amateur Championship (if not
an amateur).
L-13. All former winners of the Masters Tournament, The Open and the PGA of
America Championship.
L-14. From the 2020 & 2021 Masters Tournament, the 2020 & 2021 PGA Championship
and the 2019 Open Championship conducted by the R&A, the 30 lowest scorers
and anyone tying for 30th place.
(NOTE: Blank entries will be filed by the USGA for players who become exempt
after the close of entries.)
L-15. The top 20 PGA Professionals from the 2021 PGA Professional Championship
who advance to the 2021 PGA Championship. (NOTE: Blank entries will be
filed by the USGA for players who become exempt after the close of entries.)
L-16. Playing members of the five most current United States and European Ryder
Cup and United States & World Presidents Cup Teams.
L-17. Winner of the 2021 individual NCAA Div. I Men’s Golf Championship (must
be an amateur).
(NOTE: Blank entries will be filed by the USGA for players who become exempt
after close of entries.)
L-18. From The Amateur Championship staged by the R&A, winners in 2017-2019
and the runners-up in 2019 & 2020 (must be an amateur).
L-19. Winners of the 2019 Asia-Pacific Amateur, 2019 Mexican International Amateur,
2019 Canadian Amateur and 2019 & 2020 European Amateur Championships
(must be an amateur). (Must have filed an entry by April 21, 2021.)
L-20. From the official PGA Tour career money list, the top 50 money leaders as of
the season-ending 2019 & 2020 Tour Championships.
L-21. From the official PGA Tour Champions money list, the top 10 money leaders
as of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2020.
L-22. Top five players from the 2019 Staysure Tour Order of Merit.
L-23 PGA professional at club hosting the 2020 & 2021 U.S. Open Championships.
L-24. Any player who had multiple finishes in the top 400 of the year-end Official
World Golf Rankings in the last six calendar years (2015-2020).
L-25. From the current Official World Golf Rankings, the top 500 point leaders and
anyone tying for 500th place as of February 24, 2021.
L-26. From the current Official World Golf Rankings, the top 500 point leaders and
anyone tying for 500th place as of April 21, 2021. Players must select
a qualifying site at the time of entry. (Must have filed an entry by April 21, 2021.)
L-27. From the current Men’s World Amateur Golf Ranking®/WAGR®, the top
50 point leaders and anyone tying for 50th place as of April 21, 2021 (must
be an amateur). Players must select a qualifying site at the time of entry.
Players exempt under this category will be determined at the close of
entries. (Must have filed an entry by April 21, 2021.)
L-28. Special exemptions as selected by the USGA. Must have filed an entry by
April 21, 2021. Deadline for submission of request
EXEMPT FROM LOCAL AND FINAL QUALIFYING
NOTE: Exemption under categories reserved for amateurs will be granted
only to players who are currently amateurs, unless otherwise indicated. An
amateur who is exempt into Final Qualifying or the Championship proper through
a category reserved for amateurs becomes ineligible if he becomes a professional
before beginning play or during the play of the Championship, unless otherwise
indicated.
F-1. Winners of the U.S. Open Championship the last 10 years (2011-2020)
F-2. From the 2020 U.S. Open Championship, the 10 lowest scorers and anyone tying
for 10th place.
F-3. Winner of the 2020 U.S. Amateur Championship
F-4. Runner-up of the 2020 U.S. Amateur Championship (must be an amateur)
F-5. Winners of the Masters Tournament (2017-2021)
F-6. Winners of the PGA of America Championship
F-7. Winners of The Open (2016-2019)
F-8. Winners of the Players Championship (2019-2021)
F-9. Winner of the 2020 European BMW PGA Championship
F-10. Those players qualifying for the season-ending 2020 Tour Championship
F-11. Multiple winners of PGA Tour events that award a full-point allocation for the
FedExCup, from the conclusion of the originally scheduled 2020 U.S. Open
Championship to the initiation of the 2021 U.S. Open Championship.
F-12. From the three-event U.S. Open 2021 European Qualifying Series (Betfred
British Masters, Made in HimmerLand Championship and Porsche European
Open), the top 10 aggregate points earners that are not otherwise exempt.
F-13. Winner of the 2020 The Amateur Championship staged by the R&A (must be
an amateur)
F-14. Winner of the 2020 Mark H. McCormack Medal (Men’s World Amateur Golf
Ranking) (must be an amateur)
F-15. From the current Official World Golf Rankings, the top 60 point leaders and
ties as of May 24, 2021. Players must select a qualifying site at the time of entry
(NOTE: Blank entries will be filed by the USGA for players who become exempt
after close of entries.)
F-16. From the current Official World Golf Rankings, the top 60 point leaders and
ties as of June 7, 2021, if not previously exempt. Players must select a
qualifying site at the time of entry. (NOTE: Blank entries will be filed by the
USGA for players who become exempt after close of entries.)
F-17. Special exemptions as selected by the USGA. Players must select a qualifying
site at the time of entry. Must have filed an entry by April 21, 2021.
Deadline for submission of request: April 21, 2021.
About the U.S. Open Golf Championship
The U.S. Open is the biggest of the 15 national championships conducted by the USGA. Open to amateurs and professionals. Amateurs gain entry via USGA win or runner-up finishes while having the opportunity to qualify alongside non-exempt professionals...
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