US Open Exemptions For 2023 – LIV Out In Cold

US Open Exemptions For 2023 – LIV Out In Cold

New exemptions for NCAA, Latin America Champs, Korn Ferry Leader, FedEx Cup points leaders

The USGA has released its list of exemption categories for the US Open. Aspiring participants who meet these are exempt from local and final qualifying rounds.

The list remains much the same from previous years, with four new categories added:

• 2023 Latin America Amateur Champion (must be an amateur)
• 2023 NCAA Division I men’s individual champion (must be an amateur)
• 2022 Korn Ferry Tour season points leader (using points earned on KFT Regular Season and points earned in KFT Tour Finals)
• The top 5 players in 2022-23 FedExCup standings as of May 22, 2023, not otherwise exempt

Notably, there are no new exemptions for LIV golf participants, or for any tours other than the PGA TOUR, The Korn Ferry Tour and the DP World (European) Tour. An Asian Tour winner exemption, for example, might have left the door open for a LIV player.

Further, for several of the categories, the USGA makes it clear that

players must be considered eligible per PGA Tour regulations at the time the exemption is determined to qualify for the exemption.

Similarly, for others:

players must be in DP World Tour Membership at the time the exemption is determined to qualify for the exemption

At this point LIV players are not banned. However, they will either need to go through qualifying, or get in based on winning a US Open in the last ten years; finishing in the top ten in last year’s US Open or having won one of the other majors in the last five years.

In the past US Open Category, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Martin Kaymer are “exempt.” This is Kaymer’s last year for that exemption.

Patrick Reed would get in under the Masters exemption. This will be his last year for that. DJ is already in under the US Open category.

Cam Smith gets in by virtue of last year’s Open Championship win.

Phil Mickelson gets in as a result of his recent PGA Championship win. Koepka also qualifies in this category.

That is a small, and dwindling list.

There are openings in the LIV schedule where players could take the time to play qualifying rounds.

All that said, I like the inclusion of the Latin America and NCAA Champions. The former makes the US Open more inclusive, while the latter acknowledges the level of competition at the college level. It is no accident that so many players win quickly after exiting the college ranks.

Complete List of 2023 U.S. Open exemption categories from local and final qualifying

• F-1. Winners of the U.S. Open Championship the last 10 years (2013-22)
• F-2. From the 2022 U.S. Open Championship, the 10 lowest scorers and anyone tying for 10th place
•  F-3. Winner of the 2022 U.S. Senior Open Championship
•  F-4. Winner of the 2022 U.S. Amateur Championship
•  F-5. Winners of the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur Championships, and the 2022 U.S. Amateur runner-up (must be an amateur)
•  F-6. Winners of the Masters Tournament (2019-2023)
• F-7. Winners of the PGA Championship (2018-2023)  
• F-8. Winners of The Open Championship, conducted by The R&A (2018-2022)
• F-9. Winners of The Players Championship (2021-2023)
• F-10. Winner of the 2022 European Tour BMW PGA Championship
•  *F-11. Those players who qualified and were eligible for the season-ending 2022 Tour Championship
•  F-12.  Multiple winners of PGA Tour events that award a full-point allocation for the FedExCup, from the conclusion of the 2022 U.S. Open (June 16-19) to the initiation of the 2023 U.S. Open
•  *F-13. The top five players in the 2022-23 FedExCup standings as of May 22, 2023, who are not otherwise exempt
•  *F-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
•  **F-15. The top two players from the final 2022 DP World Tour Rankings who are not otherwise exempt as of May 22, 2023
•  **F-16. The top player on the 2023 Race to Dubai Rankings as of May 22, 2023, who is not otherwise exempt
•  **F-17. The top two finishers from the 2023 DP World Tour U.S. Open Qualifying Series, who are not otherwise exempt
•  F-18. Winner of the 2022 Amateur Championship, conducted by The R&A (must be an amateur)
•  F-19. Winner of the 2022 Mark H. McCormack Medal (Men’s World Amateur Golf Ranking) (must be an amateur)
•  F-20. Winner of the 2023 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship (must be an amateur)
•  F-21. Winner of the 2023 Latin America Amateur Championship (must be an amateur)
•  F-22. From the current Official World Golf Ranking, the top 60 point leaders and ties as of May 22, 2023 
•  F-23. From the current Official World Golf Ranking, the top 60 point leaders and ties as of June 12, 2023 (if not previously exempt)
•  F-24. Special exemptions selected by the USGA

*Note 1: For Exemptions F-11, F-13 and F-14, players must be considered eligible per PGA Tour regulations at the time the exemption is determined to qualify for the exemption.

**Note 2: For Exemptions F-15, F-16 and F-17, players must be in DP World Tour Membership at the time the exemption is determined to qualify for the exemption.