How To Qualify For The US Open

This year, the 123rd US Open will be contested at Los Angeles Country Club, the first time it has ever hosted a Major. The field is now complete following the conclusion of the RBC Canadian Open, but how do players qualify? 

Like the other Majors, there are several ways to qualify, including as former champion over the decade, or a winner of one of the other three showpiece events in recent years. Winners of the PGA Championship over the last three years also receive an invite, as does any player who won a PGA Tour event over the previous 12 months, but those are just some ways to reach the tournament.

While the previous Major, the PGA Championship, generally doesn't include amateurs, the US Open welcomes them. Indeed, each year, any amateur with a handicap index of 1.4 or lower can enter, with thousands putting their skills to the test each year, hoping to get a shot at one of the game's most prestigious events.

Local qualifying for the 2023 US Open took place at over 100 sites around the US and Canada. Those two countries also hosted final qualifying events, while it also returned to England for the first time in three years following a hiatus because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Japan was the other country where final qualifying took place. 

In total, there were 12 venues for final qualifying, which saw several top players reach the Major, and several more miss out.

Following final qualifying, which concluded the week before the tournament, only six places were still up for grabs. That all became clearer after the RBC Canadian Open, because any player in the top 60 of the Official World Golf Ranking from 12 June received an invite. That rubber-stamped appearances for Emiliano Grillo, Pablo Lazzarabal and Adam Schenk.

After that, the USGA turned to its first alternates from final qualifying for the final three places, with amateurs Bastien Amat and Maxwell Moldovan getting the nod, along with PGA Tour pro Michael Kim.

Below if the full qualification and exemption criteria. 

HOW TO QUALIFY FOR THE US OPEN

• 1) Winners of the US Open Championship the last 10 years (2013-22)
• 2) From the 2022 US Open, the lowest 10 scores and ties
• 3) Winner of the 2022 US Senior Open
• 4) Winner of the 2022 US Amateur Championship
• 5) Winners of the 2022 US Junior Amateur and US Mid-Amateur Championships, and the 2022 US Amateur Runner-Up (must be an amateur)
• 6) Winners of the Masters from 2019-23
• 7) Winners of the PGA Championship from 2018-23
• 8) Winners of the Open Championship from 2018-22
• 9) Winners of the Players Championship in 2021-2023
• 10) Winner of the 2022 BMW PGA Championship
• 11) Those players who qualified and were eligible for the season-ending 2022 Tour Championship
• 12) Winners of multiple full-point PGA Tour events from 2022 US Open to the 2023 US Open
• 13) Winner of the 2023 Amateur Championship (must be an amateur)
• 14) The points leader from the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour season using combined points earned on the Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Points List and points earned in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals
• 15) The top two players from the final 2022 DP World Tour Rankings who are not otherwise exempt as of May 22, 2023
• 16) The top player on the 2023 Race to Dubai Rankings as of May 22, 2023, who is not otherwise exempt
• 17) The top two finishers from the 2023 DP World Tour U.S. Open Qualifying Series, who are not otherwise exempt
• 18) Winner of the 2022 Amateur Championship, conducted by The R&A (must be an amateur)
• 19) Winner of the 2022 Mark H. McCormack medal for being the No,1 player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (must be an amateur)
• 20) Winner of the 2023 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship (must be an amateur)
• 21) Winner of the 2023 Latin America Amateur Championship (must be an amateur)
• 22) From the current Official World Golf Ranking, the top 60 point leaders and ties as of May 22, 2023
• 23) From the current Official World Golf Ranking, the top 60 point leaders and ties as of June 12, 2023 (if not previously exempt)
• 24) Special exemptions selected by the USGA