USGA Accepts More Than 10,000 Entries for Third Time in U.S. Open History
4/22/2024 | by United States Golf Association
see also: U.S. Open Local Qualifying, Wellesley Country Club
The U.S. Open qualifying gives amateur golfers a chance to play in the toughest test in golf in June
Defending champion Wyndham Clark and all the Official World Golf Ranking® top 50 are among the 10,052 entries that have been accepted by the United States Golf Association (USGA) for the 124th U.S. Open Championship at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (Course No. 2) in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C. The U.S. Open will be held at the venue for the fourth time from June 13-16.
This is the third time in championship history that the number of entries has exceeded 10,000. The record was established last year when 10,187 entries were accepted for the championship at The Los Angeles (Calif.) Country Club. In 2014, 10,127 entered to play in the 2014 U.S Open at Pinehurst No. 2. This year, entries were accepted from golfers in all 50 states, including 381 from host state North Carolina, as well as Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and 70 foreign countries.
“The U.S. Open’s two-stage qualifying process is unique among major championships in that it provides thousands of professional and amateur golfers worldwide an opportunity to earn a place in the 156-player field,” said USGA Chief Championships Officer John Bodenhamer. “The USGA is excited to once again showcase Pinehurst Resort and Country Club’s Course No. 2 while welcoming fans to what has become the home of American golf.”
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Clark, of Denver, Colo., posted a one-stroke victory over 2011 champion Rory McIlroy on the North Course at The Los Angeles Country Club. His 72-hole total of 10-under-par 270 made him the fifth consecutive champion to make the U.S. Open his first major title. Clark, now ranked No. 4 in the Official World Golf Ranking®, leads a total of 52 players who are currently exempt from qualifying.
Besides Clark, 10 other U.S. Open champions are fully exempt: Bryson DeChambeau (2020), Matt Fitzpatrick (2022), Lucas Glover (2009), Dustin Johnson (2016), Martin Kaymer (2014), Brooks Koepka (2017, 2018), Rory McIlroy (2011), Jon Rahm (2021), Jordan Spieth (2015) and Gary Woodland (2019).
Scottie Scheffler, who is No. 1 in the OWGR® and has already this year claimed his second Masters Tournament, The Players Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, is among the OWGR’s top 50 who all filed entries. Scheffler, the co-runner-up in 2022 at The Country Club, in Brookline, Mass., will compete in his seventh U.S. Open.
Local qualifying, conducted over 18 holes at 109 sites in 44 U.S. states and Canada, will take place between April 22-May 20. Those players who advance will join a group of locally exempt players in final qualifying, which will be conducted over 36 holes at 10 U.S. and three international sites. The final stage will be held in England, Japan and Texas on May 20, and 10 are scheduled for Monday, June 3: two in Ohio and one each in California, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon and Canada.
To be eligible, a player must have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 0.4, or be a professional. Brett Seward, a 25-year-old professional from Orlando, Fla., submitted his entry one minute and 47 seconds before the deadline of 5 p.m. EDT on April 10. Preston Mohon, a 16-year-old amateur from Southlake, Texas, was the first entrant on Feb. 21.
The championship’s youngest entrant is 12-year-old Beck Patrick, an amateur from Houston, Texas. Keith Crimp, a 74-year-old amateur from Ellensburg, Wash., is the oldest.
The number of fully exempt players will increase with the inclusion of the top 60 points leaders and ties from the OWGR®, as of May 20 and June 10. The winner of the PGA Championship (May 16-19) and any multiple winners of PGA Tour events that award a full-point allocation for the season-ending Tour Championship will also earn exemptions. Also, the top five players in the 2024 FedExCup Standings as of May 20 who are not otherwise exempt, will secure a place in the field.
Additionally, U.S. Open exemptions will be awarded to the top two players from the 2023 Race to Dubai Final Points List, who are not otherwise exempt, as of May 20, and the top player from the 2024 Race to Dubai Rankings, who is not otherwise exempt, as of May 20. The winner of the 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship (must be an amateur) will also earn a spot in the field.
The U.S. Open was previously hosted by Pinehurst No. 2 in 1999 (won by Payne Stewart), 2005 (won by Michael Campbell) and 2014 (won by Kaymer). As an anchor site, Pinehurst will also host the U.S. Open in 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047.
About the U.S. Open Local Qualifying
18-hole stroke play qualifier open to male amateurs with a handicap of 0.4 and below. Players who advance will get to choose their top three sectional qualifying sites. The number of qualifying spots will depend on the size of the field.
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