Representing the start of an exciting and dramatic process in which thousands of golfers from around the world will pursue the title of America’s national champion, the United States Golf Association (USGA) has announced local qualifying sites for the 2014 U.S. Open Championship.
The U.S. Open will be contested at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2, in Village of Pinehurst, N.C., on June 12-15. Local qualifying, conducted over 18 holes at 111 sites in 42 states, will take place between May 2-19.
Players who advance out of local qualifying will compete in sectional qualifying, which will be conducted over 36 holes at 10 U.S. sites on June 2. For the 10th consecutive year, Japan and England will host international sectional qualifying, both scheduled for May 26.
Several local exemptions for the U.S. Open have been amended and will take effect in 2014.
The top 500 point leaders and ties from the Official World Golf Ranking (as of March 3) will be exempt. Any player in the OWGR’s top 500 (as of April 21) who has filed an entry prior to the deadline of 5 p.m. EDT on April 23, will also earn a local exemption. Only the top 150 point leaders were exempted in previous years. In addition, any player who has had multiple finishes in the top 400 of the year-ending OWGR in the last five calendar years (2009-2013) will be exempt from local qualifying.
In 2014, five clubs are hosting U.S. Open local qualifying for at least the 10th consecutive year. Illini Country Club, in Springfield, Ill., has held a U.S. Open local qualifier since the late 1940s, while Maketewah Country Club, in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been a site for more than four decades. Riverton (Wyo.) Country Club and Genoa Lakes Golf Club, in Genoa, Nev., have hosted local qualifying since the 1990s. Collindale Golf Course, in Fort Collins, Colo., has also hosted for at least a decade. Thirty-nine courses return as U.S. Open local qualifying sites from last year.
Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., the site of the 1958, 1977 and 2001 U.S. Opens, is hosting one of this year’s U.S. Open local qualifiers.
There are 16 local qualifying sites in the state of Florida, with the first of the scheduled qualifiers at The Club at Admirals Cove’s East Course in Jupiter on May 2. Fourteen local qualifiers are scheduled in California.
Ken Venturi (1964) and Orville Moody (1969) are the only players to win the U.S. Open after qualifying through both local and sectional play. Last year, 20 players advanced through local and sectional qualifying to the 156-player U.S. Open championship field at Merion Golf Club.
The U.S. Open will be held for the third time at Pinehurst No. 2. In 1999, Payne Stewart made an 18-foot par-saving putt on the final hole to edge Phil Mickelson by one stroke and win his second U.S. Open title. In 2005, Michael Campbell shot a final-round 69 to finish at even-par 280, two strokes ahead of Tiger Woods. To be eligible, a player must have a USGA Handicap Index or Golf Canada Handicap Factor not exceeding 1.4, or be a professional.
Online player registration for the 2014 U.S. Open begins the first week of March.
| 2014 U.S. Open Championship Local Qualifying Sites (111) | ||
| Friday, May 2 (1) | Monday, May 12 (cont.) | |
| The Club at Admirals Cove (East Course), Jupiter, Fla. | The Broadmoor G.C. (West Course), Colorado Springs, Colo. | |
| The Heritage at Westmoor, Westminster, Colo. | ||
| Monday, May 5 (24) | C.C. of Farmington, Farmington, Conn. | |
| Timberline G.C., Calera, Ala. | Lake Jovita G. & C.C. (South Course), Dade City, Fla. | |
| Sewailo Golf Club, Tucson, Ariz. | Marsh Creek C.C., St. Augustine, Fla. | |
| Bermuda Dunes C.C., Bermuda Dunes, Calif. | Indian River Club, Vero Beach, Fla. | |
| El Macero C.C., El Macero, Calif. | Marietta C.C., Kennesaw, Ga. | |
| Fort Washington G. & C.C., Fresno, Calif. | Knollwood Club, Lake Forest, Ill. | |
| Barona Creek G.C., Lakeside, Calif. | Illini C.C., Springfield, Ill. | |
| The TPC at Valencia, Valencia, Calif. | South Bend C.C., South Bend, Ind. | |
| Waterlefe G. & River C., Bradenton, Fla. | Muskegon C.C., Muskegon, Mich. | |
| Seagate C.C., Delray Beach, Fla. | The Wilds G.C., Prior Lake, Minn. | |
| The G.C. at North Hampton, Fernandina Beach, Fla. | Genoa Lakes G.C. (Lakes Course), Genoa, Nev. | |
| Orange Tree G.C., Orlando, Fla. | TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nev. | |
| Blue Lakes C.C., Twin Falls, Idaho | Pinewild C.C. (Magnolia Course), Pinehurst, N.C. | |
| George W. Dunne National, Oak Forest, Ill. | Maketewah C.C., Cincinnati, Ohio | |
| Stillwater C.C., Stillwater, Minn. | Kinsale G. & F.C., Powell, Ohio | |
| Hidden Creek G.C., Egg Harbor Township, N.J. | Southern Hills C.C., Tulsa, Okla. | |
| Red Hawk G.C., Las Cruces, N.M. | Long Cove Club, Hilton Head, S.C. | |
| Twin Warriors G.C., Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M. | Falconhead G.C., Austin, Texas | |
| Mill River Club, Oyster Bay, N.Y. | Shadow Hawk G.C., Richmond, Texas | |
| Oak Hill C.C. (West Course), Rochester, N.Y. | ||
| Greensboro C.C. (Farm Course), Greensboro, N.C. | Tuesday, May 13 (16) | |
| The Patriot G.C., Ninety Six, S.C. | Ironwood C.C., Palm Desert, Calif. | |
| Bakker Crossing G.C., Sioux Falls, S.D. | Collindale G.C., Fort Collins, Colo. | |
| Alpine C.C., Highland, Utah | Shark’s Tooth G.C., Lake Powell, Fla. | |
| Royal Oaks C.C., Vancouver, Wash. | The Legacy G. & T.C., Port St. Lucie, Fla. | |
| The Legends at Chateau Elan, Braselton, Ga. | ||
| Tuesday, May 6 (5) | Crofton C.C., Crofton, Md. | |
| Hot Springs C.C. (Arlington Course), Hot Springs, Ark. | Radrick Farms, Ann Arbor, Mich. | |
| Industry Hills G.C. (Eisenhower Course), City of Industry, Calif. | Missouri Bluffs G.C., St. Louis, Mo. | |
| Andalusia C.C., La Quinta, Calif. | Missoula C.C., Missoula, Mont. | |
| Blue Top Ridge at Riverside, Riverside, Iowa | Laurel Creek C.C., Mount Laurel, N.J. | |
| Twin Hills C.C., Longmeadow, Mass. | Bedens Brook Club, Skillman, N.J. | |
| Timber Banks G.C., Baldwinsville, N.Y. | ||
| Wednesday, May 7 (11) | Weymouth C.C., Medina, Ohio | |
| Timacuan G. & C.C., Lake Mary, Fla. | Belmont C.C., Perrysburg, Ohio | |
| Fox Hollow G.C., Trinity, Fla. | Point Judith C.C., Narragansett, R.I. | |
| Weston Hills C.C. (Tour Course), Weston, Fla. | Hackberry Creek C.C., Irving, Texas | |
| Hawthorns G. & C.C., Fishers, Ind. | ||
| Sycamore Ridge G.C., Spring Hill, Kan. | Wednesday, May 14 (11) | |
| Paramount C.C., New City, N.Y. | Southern Dunes G.C., Maricopa, Ariz. | |
| Scotch Valley C.C., Hollidaysburg, Pa. | Newport Beach C.C., Newport Beach, Calif. | |
| Holston Hills C.C., Knoxville, Tenn. | Wichita C.C., Wichita, Kan. | |
| Colonial C.C., Memphis, Tenn. | Clustered Spires G.C., Frederick, Md. | |
| Odessa C.C., Odessa, Texas | Whippoorwill Club, Armonk, N.Y. | |
| Cedar Creek G.C., San Antonio, Texas | Schuyler Meadows Club, Loudonville, N.Y. | |
| Blue Ridge C.C., Harrisburg, Pa. | ||
| Thursday, May 8 (6) | Valley Brook C.C., McMurray, Pa. | |
| Encanterra C.C., San Tan Valley, Ariz. | Tumble Creek Club, Roslyn, Wash. | |
| The Preserve G.C., Carmel, Calif. | Edgewood C.C., Sissonville, W. Va. | |
| Lake Wales C.C., Lake Wales, Fla. | Riverton C.C., Riverton, Wyo. | |
| Pinehills G.C., Plymouth, Mass. | ||
| Omaha C.C., Omaha, Neb. | Thursday, May 15 (6) | |
| Huntsville G.C., Shavertown, Pa. | Settlers Bay G.C., Wasilla, Alaska | |
| La Purisima G.C., Lompoc, Calif. | ||
| Friday, May 9 (2) | Kensington G. & C.C., Naples, Fla. | |
| River Landing (River Course), Wallace, N.C. | Shingle Creek G.C., Orlando, Fla. | |
| Mascoutin G.C., Berlin, Wis. | Carter Plantation, Springfield, La. | |
| Governors Club, Chapel Hill, N.C. | ||
| Saturday, May 10 (2) | ||
| Hoakalei C.C., Ewa Beach, Hawaii | Monday, May 19 (2) | |
| The King Kamehameha G.C., Wailuku, Hawaii | Gibson Bay G.C., Richmond, Ky. | |
| Old American G.C., The Colony, Texas | ||
| Monday, May 12 (25) | ||
| C.C. at DC Ranch, Scottsdale, Ariz. | ||
| Indian Ridge C.C. (Grove Course), Palm Desert, Calif. | ||
| Ruby Hill C.C., Pleasanton, Calif. | ||
| Pasatiempo G.C., Santa Cruz, Calif. | ||