USGA announces full field for 2012 US Open

The United States Golf Association (USGA) has announced that two additional golfers have earned a full exemption into the 2012 U.S. Open Championship, to be played June 14-17 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, bringing the number of fully exempt players to 78. In addition, three alternates from sectional qualifying were added to complete the 156-player field.

Branden Grace and Spencer Levin earned an exemption based on the current Official World Golf Ranking.

Grace, who is ranked No. 54, has won three times on the European Tour this year. The 24-year-old South African is making his first U.S. Open appearance.

Levin, who is ranked No. 60 in the world, is playing in his third U.S. Open. He tied for 13th as an amateur in 2004 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

The USGA held five spots in the field for those players who could potentially qualify by being in the current top 60 of the Official World Golf Rankings. Since Grace and Levin were the only players to earn an exemption, three alternates from sectional qualifying have made the field. They are Justin Hicks, Kyle Thompson and Colt Knost.

Hicks, who will play in his fourth U.S. Open, was the first alternate from the Columbus, Ohio, sectional. Thompson lost in a 3-for-1 playoff for the ninth and final spot in Memphis, Tenn. Knost, a professional who was the second alternate from Columbus, won the 2007 U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club.

There were 109 local qualifying sites that led to 13 sectionals, including international sites in Japan (May 21) and England (May 28). Sectional qualifying in the United States took place at 11 sites on June 4.

A list of the 78 golfers fully exempt into the 2012 U.S. Open is below.

2012 U.S. Open Exemption List (as of June 10): Aaron Baddeley                                   12, 13 Sang-Moon Bae                       13 Thomas Bjorn                          13 Keegan Bradley                        7, 12, 13 Jonathan Byrd                          12, 13 Olin Browne                             10 Angel Cabrera                          1, 5 Rafael Cabrera-Bello                 13 Michael Campbell                     1 Patrick Cantlay                         2, 4 Paul Casey                              13 Kevin Chappell                         11 K.J. Choi                                 8, 12, 13 Stewart Cink                             6 Tim Clark                                  8 Nicolas Colsaerts                     13 Ben Crane                                13 Jason Day                               11, 12, 13 Luke Donald                             12, 13 Jason Dufner                           12, 13 Simon Dyson                           13 Ernie Els                                  13 Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño     13 Rickie Fowler                            13 Jim Furyk                                 1, 13 Sergio Garcia                           11, 13 Robert Garrigus                        11 Lucas Glover                            1 Retief Goosen                          1 Branden Grace                         14 Bill Haas                                  12, 13 Anders Hansen                         13 Peter Hanson                           11, 13 Padraig Harrington                   6, 7 Charles Howell III                      12 Trevor Immelman                      5 Ryo Ishikawa                            13 Fredrik Jacobson                     12, 13 Miguel Angel Jimenez               13 Dustin Johnson                        12, 13 Zach Johnson                          13 Robert Karlsson                                   13 Martin Kaymer                          7, 13 K.T. Kim                                  13 Matt Kuchar                             8, 12, 13 Martin Laird                              13 Spencer Levin                          14 Hunter Mahan                           12, 13 Graeme McDowell                    1, 13 Rory McIlroy                            1, 11, 13 Phil Mickelson                          5, 12, 13 Francesco Molinari                   13 Kevin Na                                  13 Geoff Ogilvy                            1, 12, 13 Louis Oosthuizen                      6, 11, 13 Carl Pettersson                        13 Ian Poulter                               13 Alvaro Quiros                           13 Chez Reavie                             12 Robert Rock                             13 Justin Rose                              12, 13 Charl Schwartzel                       5, 11, 13 Adam Scott                             12, 13 John Senden                            12, 13 Webb Simpson                        12, 13 Vijay Singh                              12 Brandt Snedeker                       12, 13 Kyle Stanley                             13 Steve Stricker                           12, 13 David Toms                             12, 13 Bo Van Pelt                             12, 13 Nick Watney                             12, 13 Bubba Watson                         5, 12, 13 Lee Westwood                         11, 13 Mark Wilson                             12, 13 Gary Woodland                        12 Tiger Woods                            1, 7, 13 Y.E Yang                                 7, 11, 12

Key to Player Exemptions    1.   Winners of the U.S. Open Championship the last 10 years (2002-11)    2.   Winner and runner-up of the 2011 U.S. Amateur Championship (must be an amateur)    3.   Winner of the 2011 British Amateur Championship (must be an amateur)    4.   Winner of the 2011 Mark H. McCormack Medal (top-ranked in WAGR & must be an amateur)    5.   Winners of the Masters Tournament the last five years (2008-12)    6.   Winners of the British Open Championship the last five years (2007-11)    7.   Winners of the PGA of America Championship the last five years (2007-11)    8.   Winners of the Players Championship the last three years (2010-12)    9.   Winner of the 2012 European Tour BMW PGA Championship    10.   Winner of the 2011 U.S. Senior Open Championship    11.   From the 2011 U.S. Open Championship, the 10 lowest scorers and anyone tying for 10th place    12.   Those players who qualified for the season-ending 2011 Tour Championship    13.   Top 60 point leaders and ties from the current World Ranking as of May 21, 2012    14.   Top 60 point leaders and ties from the current World Ranking as of June 11, 2012    15.   Special exemptions selected by the USGA