O'Hair, 13 others earn US Open exemptions

This just in from the USGA...

Far Hills, N.J. – Fourteen more professional golfers earned full exemptions into the upcoming 2008 U.S. Open by being in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking or by being among the top money leaders for the year as of May 26. A total of 72 golfers are fully exempt from qualifying for the upcoming Championship, scheduled from June 12-15 at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, Calif.

In all, three more exemption categories were closed as of May 26.

Those who earned full exemptions through the current World Ranking were Stuart Appleby, J.B. Holmes, Miguel Jimenez, Robert Karlsson, Martin Kaymer, Anthony Kim, Justin Leonard, Sean O’Hair, Rod Pampling, Ian Poulter, Jeff Quinney, Mike Weir and Oliver Wilson. The remainder of the top 50 ranked players (38) were already fully exempt through other criteria.

Ryuji Imada earned a full exemption by being among the top 10 money leaders on the PGA Tour as of May 26. Kim and Quinney also were among the PGA Tour’s top 10 money winners. The rest of the top 10 money leaders were already fully exempt.

Jimenez and Wilson were additionally fully exempt by being the top two money leaders on the PGA European Tour for 2008 as of May 26.

One more fully exempt place could be awarded following the close of this week’s Memorial Tournament on the PGA Tour, if the winner is not already fully exempt and it is his second Tour win since last April 25.

Sectional qualifying for the remaining 84 spots will take place at 13 sites on June 2. The first sectional qualifier was held May 26 in Japan with two spots for the U.S. Open field awarded.

Here is the list of the 72 golfers who are fully exempt:

Robert Allenby
Stuart Appleby
Stephen Ames
Woody Austin
Aaron Baddeley
Brad Bryant
Jonathan Byrd
Angel Cabrera
Mark Calcavecchia
Michael Campbell
Paul Casey
K.J. Choi
Daniel Chopra
Stewart Cink
Tim Clark
Ben Curtis
Luke Donald

Nick Dougherty
Ernie Els
Niclas Fasth

Jim Furyk
Sergio Garcia
Retief Goosen
Todd Hamilton
Soren Hansen
Padraig Harrington
J.B. Holmes

Charles Howell III
Ryuji Imada
Trevor Immelman
Lee Janzen
Miguel Jimenez
Zach Johnson
Robert Karlsson
Martin Kaymer
Shingo Katayama
Jerry Kelly
Anthony Kim
Justin Leonard
Hunter Mahan
Shaun Micheel
Phil Mickelson
Colin Montgomerie

Sean O’Hair
Geoff Ogilvy
Rod Pampling

Ian Poulter
Jeff Quinney
John Rollins
Andres Romero
Justin Rose
Rory Sabbatini
Adam Scott
Vijay Singh
Heath Slocum
Brandt Snedeker
Henrik Stenson
Richard Sterne
Steve Stricker
Toru Taniguchi
*Michael Thompson
David Toms

Scott Verplank

Camilo Villegas
Bubba Watson
Boo Weekley
Mike Weir
Lee Westwood
Brett Wetterich
Oliver Wilson
Tiger Woods