The Putter Boy at Pinehurst
The USGA reserves five extra spots in the field for players who might earn exempt status by playing their way into the top 60 in the latest Official World Golf Ranking. Two guys achieved this — Kevin Na, who is ranked no. 40, and Bernd Wiesberger, who snuck in at no. 60.
Wiesberger finished second at the European Tour’s Lyoness Open last week and moved up nine spots in the ranking. He lost in a playoff to Mikael Lundberg on the first extra hole. The 28-year-old from Austria is making his first start at a U.S. Open.
Meanwhile, the three remaining spots in the field are given to alternates at the Sectional Qualifiers. We’re not sure how the USGA selects the alternates from the 12 qualifying sites, 10 of which are held in the U.S. It’s supposedly based on strength of field, but sometimes it seems like they pick and choose based on the story lines. Anyway, the three alternates who got the call are Craig Barlow and amateurs Cameron Wilson and Brandon McIver.
Barlow was the first alternate from the Daly City, Calif., sectional. He will play in his sixth U.S. Open. His best finish was a tie for 26th at Winged Foot Golf Club in 2006. Barlow also played in the 2005 Open at Pinehurst No. 2.
Wilson, the 2014 NCAA Division I individual champion, was the first alternate from the Purchase, N.Y., sectional. He made a birdie putt on the sixth playoff hole in qualifying to earn the spot. Wilson, who earned first-team All-America honors at Stanford University this year, is playing in his second U.S. Open (he missed the cut in 2012 at The Olympic Club).
McIver, a rising junior at the University of Oregon, was the first alternate from the Creswell, Ore., sectional. He is playing in his first Open.
There were 111 U.S. Open local qualifying sites that led to 12 sectionals, including international sites in Japan and England on May 26. Sectional qualifying in the United States took place at 10 sites on June 2.
If you follow WUP regularly, then you know I LOVE the Sectional Qualifying, especially the sudden death playoffs for the remaining spots. Per usual, I covered the Columbus site last week, while Shane Ryan wrote about the Memphis qualifier.
Go to the USGA’s site for the full results from Sectional Qualifying.
And here’s a list of the 74 golfers who were fully exempt into the 2014 U.S. Open:
| 2014 U.S. Open Exemption List (as of June 9): | ||||||
| Jonas Blixt | 13 | Pablo Larrazabal | 13 | |||
| Keegan Bradley | 7, 12, 13 | Joost Luiten | 13 | |||
| Angel Cabrera | 1 | Hunter Mahan | 11, 12, 13 | |||
| Roberto Castro | 12 | Hideki Matsuyama | 11, 13 | |||
| Stewart Cink | 6 | Graeme McDowell | 1, 13 | |||
| Darren Clarke | 6 | Rory McIlroy | 1, 7, 9, 13 | |||
| Nicolas Colsaerts | 11 | Phil Mickelson | 5, 6, 11, 12, 13 | |||
| Jason Day | 11, 12, 13 | Francesco Molinari | 13 | |||
| Brendon de Jonge | 12 | Ryan Moore | 13 | |||
| Graham DeLaet | 12, 13 | Kevin Na | 14 | |||
| Luke Donald | 11, 12, 13 | Geoff Ogilvy | 1 | |||
| Jamie Donaldson | 13 | Louis Oosthuizen | 6, 13 | |||
| Victor Dubuisson | 13 | Ryan Palmer | 13 | |||
| Jason Dufner | 7, 11, 12, 13 | Kenny Perry | 10 | |||
| Ernie Els | 6, 11, 13 | D.A. Points | 12 | |||
| Harris English | 13 | Ian Poulter | 13 | |||
| Matthew Every | 13 | Patrick Reed | 13 | |||
| Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño | 11, 13 | Justin Rose | 1, 11, 12, 13 | |||
| a-Matthew Fitzpatrick | 2, 4 | Charl Schwartzel | 5, 12, 13 | |||
| Rickie Fowler | 11, 13 | Adam Scott | 5, 12, 13 | |||
| Jim Furyk | 12, 13 | John Senden | 13 | |||
| Stephen Gallacher | 13 | Webb Simpson | 1, 12, 13 | |||
| Sergio Garcia | 12, 13 | Brandt Snedeker | 12, 13 | |||
| Lucas Glover | 1 | Jordan Spieth | 12, 13 | |||
| Retief Goosen | 1 | Kevin Stadler | 13 | |||
| a-Oliver Goss | 2 | Henrik Stenson | 12, 13 | |||
| Bill Haas | 12, 13 | Kevin Streelman | 12, 13 | |||
| Russell Henley | 13 | Steve Stricker | 11, 12, 13 | |||
| Billy Horschel | 11, 12, 13 | Brendon Todd | 13 | |||
| Thongchai Jaidee | 13 | Jimmy Walker | 13 | |||
| Miguel Angel Jimenez | 13 | Nick Watney | 12, 13 | |||
| Dustin Johnson | 12, 13 | Bubba Watson | 5, 13 | |||
| Zach Johnson | 12, 13 | Boo Weekley | 12 | |||
| Matt Jones | 13 | Lee Westwood | 13 | |||
| Martin Kaymer | 7, 8, 13 | Bernd Wiesberger | 14 | |||
| Chris Kirk | 13 | Gary Woodland | 12, 13 | |||
| Matt Kuchar | 8, 12, 13 | Y.E. Yang | 7 | |||
| Bold – U.S. Open champion | a-amateur | |||||
Key to Player Exemptions
- Winners of the U.S. Open Championship the last 10 years (2004-13)
- Winner and runner-up of the 2013 U.S. Amateur Championship (must be an amateur)
- Winner of the 2013 British Amateur Championship (must be an amateur)
- Winner of the 2013 Mark H. McCormack Medal (top-ranked in WAGR & must be an amateur)
- Winners of the Masters Tournament the last five years (2010-14)
- Winners of the British Open Championship the last five years (2009-13)
- Winners of the PGA Championship the last five years (2009-13)
- Winners of the Players Championship the last three years (2012-14)
- Winner of the 2014 European Tour BMW PGA Championship
- Winner of the 2013 U.S. Senior Open Championship
- From the 2013 U.S. Open Championship, the 10 lowest scorers and anyone tying for 10th place
- Those players who qualified for the season-ending 2013 Tour Championship
- Top 60 point leaders and ties from the World Ranking as of May 26, 2014
- Top 60 point leaders and ties from the World Ranking as of June 9, 2014
- Special exemptions selected by the USGA
