Los Angeles Country Club making its debut as a major championship host provides the 2023 US Open with even more excitement than it packs in an ordinary year. The North Course, designed by George Thomas in 1927 and restored by Gil Hanse in 2010, will be the 53rd different venue to hold the USGA’s signature men’s championship (June 15-18) and the first Los Angeles area course to do so since Ben Hogan won at Riviera Country Club 75 years ago.
The ability for any professional golfer or amateur with handicap index of 1.4 or less to attempt to qualify for LACC gives the US Open its distinct identity. This includes those pros who’ve jump to the LIV Golf League. While prohibited from entering PGA Tour events, these golfers can compete in the US Open if they have previously earned exemptions, or can play their way in via Local and Final Qualifying. Eleven LIV golfers currently are exempt or have qualified for the championship: Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Martin Kaymer (as US Open winners in the last 10 years), Phil Mickelson (off his 2021 PGA Championship victory), Cameron Smith (2022 Open Championship) Joaquin Niemann (qualifying for the 2022 Tour Championship), Abraham Ancer, Patrick Reed, Mito Pereira and Thomas Pieters (off the top 60 in the OWGR).
In February, the USGA outlined its 24 categories for full exemptions into the championship. They included four new designations, adding the winner of the NCAA D-I men’s individual championship, the Latin America Amateur champion, the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour points leader and the top five players on the FedEx Cup points list not already in the championship as of May 23.
Entries for the US Open closed in April with a record 10,187 people trying to get their crack at competing in the national championship. Local qualifying has just wrapped up, with 18-hole contests being held at more than 100 sites around the country. Final Qualifying (36 holes) began last week at 13 sites, with 10 of those events scheduled for June 5. Approximately half the spots in the 156-player field will be left for players to advance through Final Qualifying into the championship proper.
Here is the complete list of exemption categories and the players who have earned spots into the field for LA North — 94 and counting.
US Open players (exempt and qualified)
Abraham Ancer, 22
Sam Bennett (a), 4
Keegan Bradley, 2, 22
Hayden Buckley, 13
Sam Burns, 11, 22
Patrick Cantlay, 11, 22
Ben Carr (a), 5
Gunn Charoenkul, FQ
Wyndham Clark, 22
Corey Conners, 11, 22
Joel Dahmen, 2
Jens Dantorp, FQ
Cam Davis, 22
Jason Day, 22
Bryson DeChambeau, 1
Alejandro Del Rey, FQ
Wenyi Ding (a), 5
Harris English, 22
Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira (a), 21
Tony Finau, 11, 12, 22
Ross Fisher, FQ
Matt Fitzpatrick, 1, 2, 11, 22
Tommy Fleetwood, 22
Rickie Fowler, 22
Ryan Fox, 22
Deon Germishuys, FQ
Adam Hadwin, 2
Brian Harman, 11, 22
Padraig Harrington, 3
Tyrrell Hatton, 22
Russell Henley, 22
Lucas Herbert, 22
Tom Hoge, 11, 22
Max Homa, 11, 12, 22
Billy Horschel, 11, 22
David Horsey, FQ
Viktor Hovland, 11, 22
Mackenzie Hughes, 13
Sungjae Im, 11, 22
Ryo Ishikawa, FQ
Dustin Johnson, 1, 6
Martin Kaymer, 1
Si Woo Kim, 22
Tom (Joohyung) Kim, 12, 22
Chris Kirk, 22
Kurt Kitayama, 22
Brooks Koepka, 1, 7, 22
Thirston Lawrence, 15
KH Lee, 11, 22
Min Woo Lee, 16
Shane Lowry, 8, 10, 22
Hideki Matsuyama, 2, 6, 11, 22
Denny McCarthy, 2, 22
Matthew McClean (a), 5
Rory McIlroy, 2, 11, 12, 22
Adrian Meronk, 22
Phil Mickelson, 7
Keith Mitchell, 22
Francesco Molinari, 8
Taylor Montgomery, 13
Taylor Moore, 22
Collin Morikawa, 2, 7, 8, 11
Ryutaro Nagano, FQ
Joaquin Niemann, 11, 22
Wilco Nienaber, FQ
Alex Noren, 22
Matthieu Pavon, FQ
Mito Pereira, 22
Victor Perez, 22
Thomas Pieters, 22
JT Poston, 22
Aldrich Poltgieter (a), 18
Seamus Power, 22
Andrew Putnam, 13
Jon Rahm, 1, 6, 11, 12, 22
Patrick Reed, 22
Justin Rose, 1, 22
Xander Schauffele, 11, 12, 22
Scottie Scheffler, 2, 6, 9, 11, 12, 22
Adam Scott, 11, 22
Cameron Smith, 8, 9, 11, 22
Jordan Smith, 15
Jordan Spieth, 1, 11, 22
Scott Stallings, 11
Sepp Straka, 11, 22
Justin Suh, 14
Nick Taylor, 13
Sahith Theegala, 11, 22
Justin Thomas, 7, 9, 11, 22
Aaron Wise, 11, 22
Gary Woodland, 1, 2
Tiger Woods, 6
Cameron Young, 11, 22
NOTE: Will Zalatoris qualified for the championship but will not play due to injury.
US Open exemption categories
1. Winners of the US Open the last 10 years (2013-22)
2. From the 2022 US Open, the 10 lowest scorers and anyone tying for 10th place
3. Winner of the 2022 US Senior Open
4. Winner of the 2022 US Amateur
5. Winners of the 2022 US Junior Amateur and US Mid-Amateur, and the 2022 US Amateur runner-up (must be an amateur)
6. Winners of the Masters Tournament (2019-2023)
7. Winners of the PGA Championship (2018-2023)
8. Winners of The Open Championship, conducted by The R&A (2018-2022)
9. Winners of The Players Championship (2021-2023)
10. Winner of the 2022 DP World Tour BMW PGA Championship
11. Those players who qualified and were eligible for the season-ending 2022 Tour Championship*
12. Multiple winners of PGA Tour events that award a full-point allocation for the FedEx Cup, from the conclusion of the 2022 US Open (June 16-19) to the initiation of the 2023 US Open
13. The top five players in the 2022-23 FedEx Cup standings as of May 22, 2023, who are not otherwise exempt*
14. The points leader from the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour season using combined points earned on the Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Points List and points earned in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals*
15. The top two players from the final 2022 DP World Tour Rankings who are not otherwise exempt as of May 22, 2023**
16. The top player on the 2023 Race to Dubai Rankings as of May 22, 2023, who is not otherwise exempt**
17. The top two finishers from the 2023 DP World Tour US Open Qualifying Series, who are not otherwise exempt**
18. Winner of the 2022 British Amateur (must be an amateur)
19. Winner of the 2022 Mark H. McCormack Medal (Men’s World Amateur Golf Ranking) (must be an amateur)
20. Winner of the 2023 NCAA D-I Men’s Golf Championship (must be an amateur)
21. Winner of the 2023 Latin America Amateur (must be an amateur)
22. From the current Official World Golf Ranking, the top 60 point leaders and ties as of May 22, 2023
23. From the current Official World Golf Ranking, the top 60 point leaders and ties as of June 12, 2023 (if not previously exempt)
24. Special exemptions selected by the USGA
*Note 1: For Exemptions F-11, F-13 and F-14, players must be considered eligible per PGA Tour regulations at the time the exemption is determined to qualify for the exemption.
**Note 2: For Exemptions F-15, F-16 and F-17, players must be in DP World Tour Membership at the time the exemption is determined to qualify for the exemption.
