The United States Golf Association announced overnight that 27 additional golfers, including Major champions Adam Scott and Bubba Watson, have earned full exemptions into the 2021 US Open Championship, to be played from June 17-20 on the South course at Torrey Pines Golf Course, in San Diego, California. These exemptions bring the number of fully exempt players to 76.
Exemptions were awarded to 24 players who earned a place in the top 60 of the Official World Golf Ranking as of May 24, who were not otherwise exempt. Scott, who will compete in his 20th US Open, won the 2013 Masters Tournament. He is ranked 39th. Watson, who won the 2012 and 2014 Masters, is ranked 58th. It will be Watson’s 15th US Open. Brian Harman and Tommy Fleetwood, who were US Open runners-up in 2017 and 2018, respectively, also earned entry through the OWGR. Fleetwood is 31st and Harman is 49th.
The other players who earned full exemptions through the current Official World Golf Ranking are: Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Sam Burns, Patrick Cantlay, Paul Casey, Corey Conners, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Russell Henley, Garrick Higgo, Max Homa, Matt Jones, Si Woo Kim, Jason Kokrak, Matt Kuchar, K.H. Lee, Robert MacIntyre, Carlos Ortiz, Victor Perez, Kevin Streelman, Matt Wallace and Lee Westwood. Kuchar (1997) and Fitzpatrick (2013) are past US Amateur champions.
At No.15, Cantlay is the highest-ranked player in the current OWGR who was not previously exempt into the US Open. He will play in his sixth US Open. Phil Mickelson, who on May 14 accepted a special exemption from the USGA into this year’s US Open, moved up 83 spots from his previous world ranking to 32nd by winning the PGA Championship on Sunday for his sixth professional Major. Mickelson, a six-time US Open runner-up, will be competing in his 30th US Open and is now exempt through until 2025.
Three other players earned exemptions based on their performances on other professional tours. Wade Ormsby was the top finisher on the 2020 Asian Tour Final Order of Merit. Brad Kennedy earned his spot as the top finisher on the 2020 PGA Tour of Australasia Final Order of Merit. Wilco Nienaber is currently the leading player on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit.
In addition, the top 10 aggregate point earners, who are otherwise not exempt, in the three-event US Open 2021 European Tour Qualifying Series (May 15 to June 6) will earn places in the US Open. Any multiple winners of PGA Tour events that award a full-point allocation for the season-ending Tour Championship will also earn an exemption. The number of fully exempt golfers may increase with the addition of the top 60 players from the OWGR as of Monday, June 7.
The first of 10 US final qualifiers for the 2021 US Open is being held today in Dallas, Texas. Japan completed their 36-hole international qualifier earlier today.
Final qualifying in the United States, at 36 holes, will take place at nine additional sites on June 7.
The South course at Torrey Pines is hosting its second US Open. One of the most dramatic US Opens was contested there in 2008 when Tiger Woods out-duelled Rocco Mediate in a 19-hole playoff to win his third US Open and record-tying ninth USGA championship. Woods made par on the first extra hole after the two were tied after an 18-hole playoff. Woods had forced the playoff by making a 12-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole.
A list of the 76 golfers fully exempt into the 2021 US Open as of May 24 (not including the final qualifiers from Texas and Japan) can also be found here: http://www.usopen.com/qualifying/exemptions.html.
