7 Additional Players Exempt For U.S. Open

Far Hills, N.J. (May 24) – Seven additional golfers have earned full exemptions into the 2011 U.S. Open Championship, to be played June 16-19 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., bringing the number of fully exempt players to 72. 

The exemptions were awarded to players who met one or more of the following criteria, as of May 23: top 50 point leaders in the Official World Golf Ranking; top 10 money leaders from the official 2011 PGA Tour money list; and top five money leaders from the official 2011 PGA European Tour money list.  

Those who earned full exemptions through the current World Golf Ranking were: Anders Hansen, Peter Hanson, Ryo Ishikawa, Matteo Manassero, Rory Sabbatini and David Toms. In addition, Aaron Baddeley earned an exemption from his ninth-place position on the PGA Tour money list. 

The remaining 44 of the top 50 ranked players were already fully exempt through other criteria. 

Sabbatini and Toms also became fully exempt, joining Baddeley, by ranking among the year’s top 10 money leaders on the PGA Tour, as of May 23. The rest of the top 10 money leaders were already fully exempt. 

Hansen was additionally exempt because he was among the top five money leaders on the PGA European Tour for 2011 as of May 23.   

The number of fully exempt golfers may increase with the inclusion of the top 50 players from the Official World Golf Ranking as of June 13. Additional exemptions from sectional qualifying could be earned by a winner of one of the three remaining PGA Tour events to be played prior to the U.S. Open, if the winner is not already fully exempt and if it is his second PGA Tour win since June 20, 2010. 

The first sectional qualifier was held May 23 in Japan, where four spots in the 156-player field were determined. Sectional qualifying in the USA will take place at 11 sites on June 6 and another qualifier will be held in Surrey, England on May 30. 

A list of the 72 golfers who are already fully exempt into the 2011 U.S. Open follows: (a=amateur)