Open fifield mostly solidifified
Few changes likely among players already exempt.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH — As many as 26 players will be added to the field for the U.S. Open at Erin Hills this week, and there isn’t likely to be many surprises unless someone not already eligible wins or fifinishes second in the AT&T Byron Nelson.
The top 60 in the world r a n k i n g p u b l i s h e d a f t e r this week will be exempt f ro m qu a l i f y i n g . S i Woo Kim earned a three -year exemption with his victory in The Players Championship, although the 21-yearold from South Korea was in the Tour Championship last year and thus already exempt for the U.S. Open, which is June 15-18.
Among players whose PGA Tour victories effffffffffffectively got them into the U.S. Open are Wesley Bryan (RBC Heritage), Russell Henley Shell Houston Open) and Brian Harman (Wells Fargo Championship) because winning moved them safely inside the top 60.
The same could be said for Pat Perez, though he has done far more than win the OHL Classic in Mexico last fall. Perez also has had several s t rong f i ni shes, and his runner-up fifinish at the Wells Fargo Championship clinched it for him.
Jon Rahm’s victory at Torrey Pines in January also got him in, though the 22-yearold from Spain has done so well in other tournaments that it seems like a long time ago. Rahm already is up to No. 12 in the world.
Byeong Hun An is at No. 58 and playing the AT&T Byron Nelson, so his objective is to not fall out of the top 60. Lee Westwood (55), Match Play semififinalist Hideto Tanihara (56) and Jeunghun Wang (57) are not playing this week.
Three European Tour players who are within range of the top 60 are not playing this week — Chris Wood, Andy Sullivan and Soren Kjeldsen. The European Tour has the BMW PGA Championship, its flagship event, next week at Wentworth. The tour this week has a new event, The Rocco Forte Open in Sicily, Italy, which has a weak fifield.
The winner of the BMW P GA Championship also earns a U.S. Open exemption. For everyone else, there is 36-hole sectional qualifying on June 5. There also is another exemption for the top 60 in the world ranking published the week of the U.S. Open.
If there is no movement in the top 60 in the world this week, 26 players would get in. And if someone not already eligible wins at Wentworth next week, that will be a total of 78 exempt players — half of the 156-man fifield, which is just how the USGA likes it.
Divots: So Yeon Ryu has a streak of 10 straight fifinishes in the top 10 on the LPGA Tour going into the Kingsmill Championship, where she has another chance to reach No. 1 in the world. ... Si Woo Kim won The Players Championship and the next day withdrew from the AT&T Byron Nelson, wanting to rest his back. ... Kevin Sutherland has posted nine straight top 10s on the PGA Tour Champions. He is still looking for his fifirst 50-andolder circuit victory. ... Sergio Garcia will try to become the fourth back-to-back winner at the Byron Nelson. The others were Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus and Sam Snead. ... The European Tour qualifying is going beyond European borders for the first time. A fifirst stage qualififier will be held in Malaysia on Sept. 8 at Saujana Golf & Country Club, which hosted the Maybank Championship.