Following are major portions of yesterday's USGA announcement.
By USGA
FAR HILLS, N.J. – The United States Golf Association (USGA) has accepted a total of 9,882 entries for the 2015 U.S. Open Championship at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash.
By USGA
FAR HILLS, N.J. – The United States Golf Association (USGA) has accepted a total of 9,882 entries for the 2015 U.S. Open Championship at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash.
"We are thrilled with the interest demonstrated by the 9,882 entries, the most we have ever accepted for a U.S. Open held on the West Coast," said Diana Murphy, USGA vice president and chairman of the Championship Committee. "That Chambers Bay, a public course which has never held an Open, could have this kind of impact proves that our national championship knows no state, regional or national bounds. We look forward to local and sectional qualifying and to conducting the 115th U.S. Open on June 18-21."
To be eligible, a player must have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 1.4, or be a professional. Local qualifying, which will be played over 18 holes at 111 sites in the United States, will take place between May 4-21.
Sectional qualifying, played over 36 holes, will be conducted on Monday, May 25, at two international sites (Japan and England) and on Monday, June 8, at 10 sites in the United States, ranging from New York to California. This will be the 11th year with two international qualifiers, which were established in 2005.
The USGA accepted entries for the 115th U.S. Open from golfers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 63 foreign countries.
For the fifth consecutive year, only online entries were accepted. The USGA received 535 entries on the last day applications were accepted (April 29), including 97 applications in the final hour. Josh Williamowsky, a 30-year-old amateur from Bethesda, Md., submitted his entry just 21 seconds before the deadline of 5 p.m. EDT. Darren Ernst, a 42-year-old amateur from Trabuco Canyon, Calif., was the first entrant when entries opened on March 4.
The number of fully exempt players will increase with the inclusion of the top 60 point leaders and ties from the Official World Golf Ranking®, as ofMay 25 and June 15. The winners of The Players Championship (May 7-10) and European Tour BMW PGA Championship (May 21-24) will also earn exemptions.
The list of the 49 golfers who are fully exempt into the 2015 U.S. Open (as of April 29):
Keegan BradleyMartin Kaymera-Oliver Schniederjans
Angel CabreraChris KirkCharl Schwartzel
Darren ClarkeBrooks KoepkaAdam Scott
Erik ComptonMatt KucharJohn Senden
Jason DayHunter MahanWebb Simpson
Jason DufnerHideki MatsuyamaBrandt Snedeker
Ernie ElsGraeme McDowellJordan Spieth
Rickie FowlerRory McIlroyHenrik Stenson
Jim FurykPhil MickelsonBrendon Todd
Sergio GarciaColin MontgomerieCameron Tringale
Lucas GloverKevin NaJimmy Walker
Bill Haasa-Bradley NeilBubba Watson
Russell HenleyGeoff OgilvyGary Woodland
Morgan HoffmannLouis OosthuizenTiger Woods
Billy HorschelRyan Palmera-Gunn Yang
Dustin JohnsonPatrick Reed
Zach JohnsonJustin Rose
Bold – U.S. Open champion a-amateur
Source: USGA: 9,860 Will Attempt to Qualify for U.S. Open