2024 US Open qualifier heats up right after PGA Championship ends

The countdown is on to the next men’s major of 2024, the US Open. The excitement is building as players from the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and LIV Golf, as well as many amateurs, are competing for a spot at Pinehurst No. 2 in the Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina. This prestigious location will be the setting for the national championship in June, marking the fourth US Open.

The US Open is set to take place from June 13 to 16 and will feature a field of 156 golfers. As of May 20, 83 players have already earned their spots through exemptions, leaving just a few spots open for those who want to compete in the national championship. The recent qualifying rounds have seen a mix of seasoned pros and up-and-coming players emerge, each with their own unique story to tell.

The qualifying process is pretty intense. Golfers from the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and LIV Golf, as well as a lot of amateurs, are competing at different locations around the world. The three 36-hole final qualifying stages held on Monday, May 20, right after the end of the PGA Championship.

Qualifying tournaments were held in Japan, England and the United States, with 23 golfers advancing to the US Open, joining the 83 players already exempt. That brings the total number of confirmed participants to 106, with 50 spots still up for grabs.

The Road to Pinehurst: US Open Qualifying Rounds and Emerging Players

In the recent qualifier rounds, 23 golfers made it through, joining the 83 golfers who are exempt from the qualifier rounds. That brings the total to 106, with a field that will eventually be 156. On June 3, we’ll have 10 more qualifiers, and then we’ll have multiple PGA Tour winners and the NCAA individual champ round out the field.

The Dallas Athletic Club hosted a pretty intense qualifying round, with 136 players going for 11 spots. Nico Echavarria came out on top, with Mac Meissner, Eugenio Lopez Chacarra, and Takumi Kanaya sharing second place. Also making the cut were Francesco Molinari, Brandon Wu, Michael McGowan, Parker Bell, S.H. Kim, Sung Kang, and Logan McAllister. It’s worth noting that Sergio Garcia came up short, losing a 7-for-6 playoff for the 11th and final spot, making him the first alternate.

At Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey, England, 102 players competed for nine spots. Grant Forrest, Richard Mansell, and Brandon Robinson Thompson tied for first place, with Sam Bairstow, Robert Rock, Tom McKibbin, Edoardo Molinari, Jason Scrivener, and Matteo Manassero also advancing. In Japan, at the Hino Golf Club in Shiga Prefecture, Ryo Ishikawa and Riki Kawamoto tied for first place, with Taisei Shimizu taking the third and final spot.

With the US Open coming up fast, the remaining spots are filling up fast. On Monday, June 3, there will be nine final qualifying sites in the U.S. and one in Canada, offering the last chance for those not already in the field. These 36-hole qualifiers, dubbed “Golf’s Longest Day,” will take place the day after the PGA Tour’s RBC Canadian Open and the DP World Tour’s European Open in Hamburg, Germany.

As the field continues to take shape, golf fans around the world will be keeping their eyes on the players who come out on top in the qualifying rounds. With a mix of established stars and rising talents, the 2024 US Open is shaping up to be a great event.