One additional player has earned a full exemption into the 117th U.S. Open Championship. Additionally, five alternates from sectional qualifying were added to complete the 156-player field that will tee it up at Erin Hills.
Chris Wood earned an exemption based on the current Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). Wood, of England, who is No. 60 in the OWGR, will play in his second U.S. Open. The 29-year-old has four top-25 finishes on the European Tour this season, including a tie for second in the Nordea Masters. Wood, who tied for 23rd in his first U.S. Open last year, won the BMW Championship and competed in his first Ryder Cup Match in 2016.
The USGA held six spots for those players who could potentially earn an exemption by moving into the top 60 of the OWGR, as of June 12. Since Wood was the only player added to the field via this exemption, five alternates from sectional qualifying were added. They are Gregory Bourdy, Tyler Light, Davis Love IV, Meen Whee Kim and Ryan Palmer.
Bourdy, 35, of France, is playing in his third U.S. Open, with his best finish a tie for 18th last year at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club. He was the first alternate from the England sectional. Bourdy, a four-time winner on the European Tour, has played in 13 events this season. His best finish is a tie for third at the Shenzhen International on April 23.
Light, 26, of Massillon, Ohio, was the first alternate from the Springfield, Ohio, sectional. He is competing in his first U.S. Open. Light, who is one of 21 players who advanced to this year’s U.S. Open by making it through both local and sectional qualifying, played at Malone University, in Canton, Ohio, and had full status on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada in 2015.
Love IV, 23, is competing in his first U.S. Open after also advancing through local and sectional play. He was the first alternate from the Ball Ground, Ga., sectional. The son of 23-time U.S. Open competitor and 1997 PGA champion Davis Love III, Love, known as Dru, was a fifth-year senior at the University of Alabama in 2016-17 and is playing in his first event as a professional.
Kim, 25, of the Republic of Korea, is playing in his first U.S. Open. He was the first alternate from the Memphis, Tenn., sectional. Kim has competed in 19 PGA Tour events this season. He tied for fifth in the Puerto Rico Open on March 26. In 2015, Kim posted two top-10 finishes as a rookie on the PGA Tour.
Palmer will play in his seventh U.S. Open, with his best finish a tie for 21st in 2011 at Congressional Country Club. He was the first alternate from the Dallas, Texas, sectional. Palmer has competed in 12 PGA Tour events this season. His best finish is a tie for sixth at the Valero Texas Open. Palmer has won three times on the PGA Tour, most recently in 2010 when he claimed the Sony Open in Hawaii title.
There were 114 U.S. Open local qualifying sites that led to 12 sectional qualifiers, including international sites in Japan and England. Sectional qualifying in the United States took place at 10 sites on June 5.