The USGA has scrapped qualifying for the US Open due to the Covid-19 pandemic, meaning it will essentially be an invitational
Why This Year's US Open Will Not Officially Be An Open
This year's US Open will not officially be an 'open' after the USGA announced that there would be no qualifying for the event due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The USGA has now cancelled most of its tournaments this year barring the US Open, US Women's Open, US Amateur and US Women's Amateur.
All four events will not feature any qualifying because, as the USGA says, "conducting hundreds of qualifiers across the country was not seen as a viable option."
This means that the fields will be assembled by exemptions only, essentially turning the events into 'invitationals' as oppose to 'opens'.
“As you can imagine, this was an incredibly difficult decision, as qualifying is a cornerstone of USGA championships,” said John Bodenhamer, senior managing director of Championships for the USGA.
“We take great pride in the fact that many thousands typically enter to pursue their dream of qualifying for a USGA championship and we deeply regret that they will not have that opportunity this year. But this structure provides the best path forward for us to conduct these championships in 2020.”
"We have not yet made a final determination regarding whether spectators will be able to attend the 2020 US Open at Winged Foot Golf Club, the USGA PR department announced.
"Given the realities of the pandemic, we are recreating the entire championship experience for everyone involved.
"We appreciate and understand everyone's questions and will provide more information as soon as possible."
