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Ten More Players Are Exempt For U.S. Open; Total Now 73
Far Hills, N.J. - Fred Couples, winner of the Shell Houston Open in April, is one of the 10 golfers who earned full exemptions into the U.S. Open with the close of three active categories as of May 26. A total of 73 golfers are fully exempt from qualifying for the upcoming Championship, scheduled from June 12-15 at the Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill.
Couples, who will be playing in his 20th Open, earned his exemption by jumping into the top 50 in the World Rankings. The other nine who earned full exemptions by being in the top 50 of the updated World Rankings are Stuart Appleby, Paul Casey, Darren Clarke, Niclas Fasth, Brad Faxon, Steve Flesch, Bernhard Langer, Kirk Triplett and Scott Verplank.
No golfer earned a full exemption through the updated list for the top 10 money leaders on the PGA Tour. All of the top 10 money leaders and the remainder of the top 50 ranked players were already fully exempt through other criteria.
The other active exemption category through the end of May was for the top two money-winners from the 2003 European PGA Tour. Those two money leaders, Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington, also were already fully exempt through other categories.
Sectional qualifying for the remaining 83 spots will take place at 13 sites on June 2-3.
Here is the list of the 73 golfers who are fully exempt:
| Robert Allenby |
8, 9 |
| Stuart Appleby |
16 |
| Ricky Barnes |
2 |
| Rich Beem |
5, 9, 12 |
| Thomas Bjorn |
10 |
| Tom Byrum |
8 |
| Angel Cabrera |
10 |
| Michael Campbell |
10 |
| Paul Casey |
16 |
| Fred Couples |
16 |
| K.J. Choi |
9 |
| Darren Clarke |
16 |
| Chris DiMarco |
9 |
| David Duval |
4 |
| Ernie Els |
1, 4, 9, 10, 12 |
| Bob Estes |
9 |
| Nick Faldo |
8 |
| Niclas Fasth |
16 |
| Brad Faxon |
16 |
| Steve Flesch |
16 |
| Fred Funk |
9 |
| Jim Furyk |
9 |
| Sergio Garcia |
8, 9, 10 |
| Retief Goosen |
1, 9, 10 |
| Jay Haas |
8 |
| Padraig Harrington |
8,10 |
| Dudley Hart |
8 |
| Scott Hoch |
8 |
| Charles Howell |
9 |
| Trevor Immelman |
10 |
| Hale Irwin |
17 |
| Lee Janzen |
1 |
| Steve Jones |
1 |
| Jerry Kelly |
9 |
| Tom Kite |
17 |
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- Winners of the U.S. Open Championship for the last 10 years.
- Winner and runner-up of the 2002 U.S. Amateur Championship.
- Winners of the Masters Tournament the last five years.
- Winners of the British Open Championship the last five years.
- Winners of the PGA of America Championship the last five years.
- Winner of the 2003 Players Championship.
- Winner of the 2002 U.S. Senior Open Championship.
- From the 2002 U.S. Open Championship, the 15 lowest scorers and anyone tying for 15th place.
- From the 2002 final official PGA Tour money list, the top 30 money leaders.
- From the 2002 final official PGA European Tour, the top 15 money leaders.
- From the 2003 official PGA Tour money list, the top 10 money leaders through May 25.
- Any multiple winner of PGA Tour co-sponsored events whose victories are considered official from April 24, 2002 through June 1, 2003
- From the 2003 PGA European Tour, the top two money leaders through May 26.
- From the 2002 final Japan Golf Tour money list, the top two leaders provided they are within the top 75 point leaders of the World Rankings at that time.
- From the 2002-2003 official PGA Tour of Australasia money list as of March 17, the top two leaders provided they are within the top 75 point leaders of the World Rankings at that time.
- From the World Rankings list, the top 50 point leaders as of May 26.
- Special exemptions selected by the USGA Executive Committee International players not otherwise exempt as selected by the USGA Executive Committee.
E-mail address: mediarelations@usga.org
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