San Francisco, Calif. (June 10) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced that two additional golfers have earned a full exemption into the 2012 U.S. Open Championship, to be played June 14-17 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, bringing the number of fully exempt players to 78. In addition, three alternates from sectional qualifying were added to complete the 156-player field.
Branden Grace and Spencer Levin earned an exemption based on the current Official World Golf Ranking. Grace, who is ranked No. 54, has won three times on the European Tour this year. The 24-year-old South African is making his first U.S. Open appearance. Levin, who is ranked No. 60 in the world, is playing in his third U.S. Open. He tied for 13th as an amateur in 2004 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.
The USGA held five spots in the field for those players who could potentially qualify by being in the current top 60 of the Official World Golf Rankings. Since Grace and Levin were the only players to earn an exemption, three alternates from sectional qualifying have made the field. They are Justin Hicks, Kyle Thompson and Colt Knost.
Hicks, who will play in his fourth U.S. Open, was the first alternate from the Columbus, Ohio, sectional. Thompson lost in a 3-for-1 playoff for the ninth and final spot in Memphis, Tenn. Knost, a professional who was the second alternate from Columbus, won the 2007 U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club.
There were 109 local qualifying sites that led to 13 sectionals, including international sites in Japan (May 21) and England (May 28). Sectional qualifying in the United States took place at 11 sites on June 4.
A list of the 78 golfers fully exempt into the 2012 U.S. Open is below.
2012 U.S. Open Exemption List (as of June 10):
Aaron Baddeley 12, 13
Sang-Moon Bae 13
Thomas Bjorn 13
Keegan Bradley 7, 12, 13
Jonathan Byrd 12, 13
Olin Browne 10
Angel Cabrera 1, 5
Rafael Cabrera-Bello 13
Michael Campbell 1
Patrick Cantlay 2, 4
Paul Casey 13
Kevin Chappell 11
K.J. Choi 8, 12, 13
Stewart Cink 6
Tim Clark 8
Nicolas Colsaerts 13
Ben Crane 13
Jason Day 11, 12, 13
Luke Donald 12, 13
Jason Dufner 12, 13
Simon Dyson 13
Ernie Els 13
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño 13
Rickie Fowler 13
Jim Furyk 1, 13
Sergio Garcia 11, 13
Robert Garrigus 11
Lucas Glover 1
Retief Goosen 1
Branden Grace 14
Bill Haas 12, 13
Anders Hansen 13
Peter Hanson 11, 13
Padraig Harrington 6, 7
Charles Howell III 12
Trevor Immelman 5
Ryo Ishikawa 13
Fredrik Jacobson 12, 13
Miguel Angel Jimenez 13
Dustin Johnson 12, 13
Zach Johnson 13
Robert Karlsson 13
Martin Kaymer 7, 13
K.T. Kim 13
Matt Kuchar 8, 12, 13
Martin Laird 13
Spencer Levin 14
Hunter Mahan 12, 13
Graeme McDowell 1, 13
Rory McIlroy 1, 11, 13
Phil Mickelson 5, 12, 13
Francesco Molinari 13
Kevin Na 13
Geoff Ogilvy 1, 12, 13
Louis Oosthuizen 6, 11, 13
Carl Pettersson 13
Ian Poulter 13
Alvaro Quiros 13
Chez Reavie 12
Robert Rock 13
Justin Rose 12, 13
Charl Schwartzel 5, 11, 13
Adam Scott 12, 13
John Senden 12, 13
Webb Simpson 12, 13
Vijay Singh 12
Brandt Snedeker 12, 13
Kyle Stanley 13
Steve Stricker 12, 13
David Toms 12, 13
Bo Van Pelt 12, 13
Nick Watney 12, 13
Bubba Watson 5, 12, 13
Lee Westwood 11, 13
Mark Wilson 12, 13
Gary Woodland 12
Tiger Woods 1, 7, 13
Y.E Yang 7, 11, 12
Key to Player Exemptions
• Winners of the U.S. Open Championship the last 10 years (2002-11)
• Winner and runner-up of the 2011 U.S. Amateur Championship (must be an amateur)
• Winner of the 2011 British Amateur Championship (must be an amateur)
• Winner of the 2011 Mark H. McCormack Medal (top-ranked in WAGR & must be an amateur)
• Winners of the Masters Tournament the last five years (2008-12)
• Winners of the British Open Championship the last five years (2007-11)
• Winners of the PGA of America Championship the last five years (2007-11)
• Winners of the Players Championship the last three years (2010-12)
• Winner of the 2012 European Tour BMW PGA Championship
• Winner of the 2011 U.S. Senior Open Championship
• From the 2011 U.S. Open Championship, the 10 lowest scorers and anyone tying for 10th place
• Those players who qualified for the season-ending 2011 Tour Championship
• Top 60 point leaders and ties from the current World Ranking as of May 21, 2012
• Top 60 point leaders and ties from the current World Ranking as of June 11, 2012
• Special exemptions selected by the USGA
About the USGA
The USGA conducts the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open, as well as 10 national amateur championships, two state team championships and international matches. Together with The R&A, the USGA governs the game worldwide, jointly administering the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, Equipment Standards and World Amateur Golf Rankings. The USGA’s working jurisdiction comprises the United States, its territories and Mexico.
The USGA is a global leader in the development and support of sustainable golf course management practices. It serves as a primary steward for the game’s history and funds an ongoing “For the Good of the Game” charitable giving program. Additionally, the USGA’s Course Rating and Handicap systems are used on six continents in more than 50 countries.
For more information about the USGA, visit www.usga.org.
Contact:
Pete Kowalski, USGA Communications, pkowalski@usga.org, 908-216-8435 (cell),
Brian DePasquale, USGA Communications, bdepasquale@usga.org, 908-655-8395 (cell).
