Australian and 2011 U.S Open runner-up Jason Day and compatriot Marc Leishman are among 26 additional golfers who have earned full exemptions into the 2013 U.S. Open Championship, to be played June 13-16 at Merion Golf Club. The USGA confirmed it brings number of fully exempt players to 78. Twenty-five of the exemptions were awarded to players who earned a place in the top 60 of the Official World Golf Ranking as of May 27. Day, who finished second to Rory McIlroy at the 2011 U.S. Open, is ranked No. 25. Those who earned full exemptions through the current Official World Golf Ranking are: Tim Clark, George Coetzee, Nicolas Colsaerts, Jason Day, Jamie Donaldson, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Branden Grace, Bill Haas, Peter Hanson, Russell Henley, Billy Horschel, Fredrik Jacobson, Thongchai Jaidee, Martin Laird, Paul Lawrie, Marc Leishman, Francesco Molinari, Thorbjorn Olesen, D.A. Points, Ian Poulter, Marcel Siem, Henrik Stenson, Richard Sterne, Kevin Streelman and Boo Weekley. Weekley vaulted 56 positions in the Official World Golf Ranking to No. 55 by winning the PGA Tour s Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial on May 26. The number of fully exempt golfers may increase with the inclusion of the top 60 players from the OWGR as of Monday, June 10. A 26th player, Matteo Manassero, also became fully exempt for the U.S. Open following his victory in a four-hole playoff at the European Tour BMW PGA Championship on May 26. The first two sectional qualifiers for the 2013 U.S. Open were held May 27, in Japan, where five spots in the 156-player field were determined, and in Surrey, England, where 12 players qualified including Australia&aposs Marcus Fraser. Sectional qualifying in the United States will take place at 11 sites next Monday, June 3. The sites are: Big Canyon Country Club & Newport Beach Country Club, Newport Beach, Calif.; Ritz-Carlton Members Golf Club, Bradenton, Fla.; Hawks Ridge Golf Club, Ball Ground, Ga.; Woodmont Country Club, Rockville, Md.; Old Warson Country Club, St. Louis; Old Oaks Country Club & Century Country Club, Purchase, N.Y.; Brookside Golf & Country Club & The Lakes Golf & Country Club, Columbus, Ohio; Springfield Country Club, Springfield, Ohio; Colonial Country Club, Memphis, Tenn.; Lakewood Country Club, Dallas, Texas, and Tumble Creek Golf Club, Cle Elum, Wash.
Author: USGA