<p>The third at Pinehurst Resort & C.C. (Course No. 2) in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C. on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. (Copyright USGA/John Mummert)</p>
VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, N.C. (June 10, 2024) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced that two additional players have earned full exemptions into the 124th U.S. Open Championship, to be contested June 13-16 at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club’s Course No. 2, bringing the number of fully exempt players to 84. Additionally, four alternates from final qualifying were added to complete the 156-player field.
Robert MacIntyre earned an exemption based on the current Official World Golf Ranking®/OWGR®. MacIntyre, of Scotland, who is No. 41 in the OWGR, is playing in his third U.S. Open. The 27-year-old recorded his first PGA Tour victory by winning the RBC Canadian Open with a 72-hole score of 264 (16 under) on June 2. He has four top-10 finishes this season, including eighth in the PGA Championship.
Adam Scott, who is No. 61 in the OWGR, became exempt when the late Grayson Murray (No. 59) was removed from the list for purposes of determining the top 60. Scott will compete in his 23rd consecutive U.S. Open, with his best finish is a tie for fourth in 2015 at Chambers Bay. He has played in two U.S. Opens at Pinehurst – tied for 28th in 2005 and tied for ninth in 2014. Scott, who also advanced through final qualifying six years ago, has won on five professional tours and his 14 PGA Tour victories include the 2013 Masters and the 2004 Players Championship. Scott will be competing in his 92nd straight major championship.
The USGA held six spots in the field for those players who could potentially become exempt. Since MacIntyre and Scott were the only players to earn an exemption, four alternates from final qualifying were added to the field. They are Sergio Garcia, amateur Brendan Valdes, Otto Black and Maxwell Moldovan.
Garcia will compete in his 25th consecutive U.S. Open, which ties him for 10th on the all-time list. He was the first alternate from the Dallas, Texas., qualifying site. The 44-year-old Spainard owns 36 professional victories, including the 2017 Masters Tournament and 2008 Players Championship. Garcia, who now competes on LIV Golf, has won 16 DP World Tour and 11 PGA Tour events. His best finish in a U.S. Open was a tie for third in 2005 at Pinehurst No. 2.
Valdes, 21, of Orlando, Fla., was the first alternate from the Jupiter, Fla., qualifier. He is competing in his second U.S. Open. He advanced through both stages of qualifying last year. Valdes was chosen first-team All-American as a junior at Auburn University in 2023-24. He posted nine top-10 finishes, including a tie for second in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. Valdes, who won the Drive, Chip & Putt title (age 14-15 division) at Augusta National in 2018, reached the Round of 32 in last year’s U.S. Amateur.
Black, of Detroit, Mich., is playing in his first U.S. Open. The 30-year-old was the first alternate from the Columbus, Ohio qualifier. He fired a second-round 65 to gain a spot in a 4-for-3 playoff. Black has played in events on four professional tours (Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Canada, PGA Tour Latinoamerica, PGA Tour Americas). He earned All-Mid-American Conference honors four times at the University of Toledo and became the third UT player to accomplish that feat.
Moldovan, 22, of Uniontown, Ohio, is the second alternate from the Springfield, Ohio, qualifier and became the highest ranked alternate at that site when Scott’s status changed from first alternate to exempt. Moldovan will compete in his third consecutive U.S. Open. He finished 65th last year at The Los Angeles Country Club. An All-America and All-Big Ten Conference selection at Ohio State University, Moldovan helped the Buckeyes reach the semifinal round of this year’s NCAA Championship. He recently turned professional after finishing his college career.
Additionally, Hiroshi Tai, 22, of Singapore, gained a full exemption on May 27 when he won the NCAA Division I Championship, a one-stroke victory over a tightly bunched field. Tai became the fourth Georgia Tech player to win an NCAA individual crown.
The U.S. Open was previously hosted by Pinehurst No. 2 in 1999 (won by Payne Stewart), 2005 (won by Michael Campbell) and 2014 (won by Kaymer). As an anchor site, Pinehurst will also host the U.S. Open in 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047.
There were 109 U.S. Open local qualifying sites that led to 13 final qualifiers, including international sites in Canada, England and Japan. Final qualifying in the United States took place at 10 sites, in the states of California, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio (Columbus & Springfield), Oregon and Texas. The USGA accepted 10,052 entries by the deadline of April 10, the third-highest total in championship history.
Article Link: Scott and Garcia make field for 124th US Open - News - Irish Golf Desk