Thirteen additional players have earned exemptions into the 121st U.S. Open Championship, including San Diego native Charley Hoffman. The championship will be conducted on the South Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, Calif., on June 17-20, 2021. These exemptions bring the number of fully exempt players to 89.
The additional 13 players earned entry based on the current Official World Golf Ranking® (OWGR) or the three-event U.S. Open 2021 European Tour Qualifying Series, which ended on June 7.
Exemptions were awarded to three players who moved into the top 60 of the OWGR as of June 7, who were not otherwise exempt. Bernd Wiesberger, of Austria, is currently No. 52 and will compete in his seventh U.S. Open. He has won eight PGA European Tour events, including the Made in HimmerLand event on May 30. Ian Poulter, who will play in his 16th U.S. Open and owns five top-25 finishes in the championship, is ranked No. 57. Poulter, of England, has been victorious on five professional tours, including three PGA Tour wins. Hoffman, of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., is ranked No. 58 and will be making his eighth start in the U.S. Open. He did not qualify for the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
The top 10 aggregate point earners, who are otherwise not exempt, in the three-event U.S. Open 2021 European Tour Qualifying Series were also awarded places in the field. Those players are: No. 1 Richard Bland, of England; No. 2 Guido Migliozzi, of Italy; No. 3 Marcus Armitage, of England; No. 4 Mikko Korhonen, of Finland; No. 5 Jordan Smith, of England; No. 6 Adrian Meronk, of Poland; No. 7 Edoardo Molinari, of Italy; No. 8 Dave Coupland, of England; No. 9 Thomas Detry, of Belgium; and No. 10 Matthew Southgate, of England.
Bland, of England, earned a two-stroke victory on May 15 in the Betfred British Masters, the first event in the series. Wiesberger, who captured the second event in the series and was No. 3 in the overall ranking, first became exempt through the OWGR top 60, which allowed Matthew Southgate to land a spot in the U.S. Open. Marcus Armitage, of England, was victorious in the Porsche European Open, the third and final event, which ended on Monday. Bland will play in his second U.S. Open and Armitage will make his first start in the championship.
Following final qualifying, the USGA will hold one place in the field for any multiple winners of PGA Tour events that award a full-point allocation for the season-ending Tour Championship.