The 2014 U.S. Open will mark the return of the national championship to Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst, N.C., from June 12-15.
The No. 2 course last hosted the U.S. Open in 2005, when Kiwi Michael Campbell shocked the world to win his first and only major title. However, in 2010-11, golf course architecture team Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore restored Donald Ross' masterpiece and obsession to its Depression-era glory, removing the lush rough and replacing it with wiry grasses and emphasizing the sandy soil.
The following week after the U.S. Open, the U.S. Women's Open will be held on the same venue.
With the U.S. Open coming sooner than you think, it's time to start looking at how the field is shaping up for the second major of 2014.
Right now, these players have qualified for the 2014 U.S. Open through the following categories:
Winners of the U.S. Open Championship the last 10 years (2004-13): Retief Goosen, Michael Campbell, Geoff Ogilvy, Angel Cabrera, Tiger Woods, Lucas Glover, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy, Webb Simpson, Justin Rose
Winner and runner-up of the 2013 U.S. Amateur Championship (must be an amateur): Matthew Fitzpatrick
Winner of the 2013 British Amateur Championship: Garrick Porteous
Winner of the 2013 Mark H. McCormack Medal (top-ranked in WAGR & must be an amateur): Matthew Fitzpatrick
Winners of the Masters Tournament the last five years (2010-14): Phil Mickelson, Charl Schwartzel, Bubba Watson, Adam Scott
Winners of the British Open Championship the last five years (2009-13): Stewart Cink, Louis Oosthuizen, Darren Clarke, Ernie Els
Winners of the PGA of America Championship the last five years (2009-13): Y.E. Yang, Martin Kaymer, Keegan Bradley, Rory McIlroy, Jason Dufner
Winner of the Players Championship the last three years (2012-14): Matt Kuchar, Martin Kaymer (already qualified)
Winner of the 2013 European Tour BMW PGA Championship: Rory McIlroy (already qualified)
Winner of the 2013 U.S. Senior Open Championship: Kenny Perry
From the 2013 U.S. Open Championship, the ten lowest scorers and anyone tying for 10th place: Jason Day, Billy Horschel, Hunter Mahan, Luke Donald, Steve Stricker, Nicholas Colsaerts, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama
Those players who qualified for the season-ending 2013 Tour Championship: Henrik Stenson, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Roberto Castro, Sergio Garcia, Jim Furyk, Nick Watney, Brendon de Jonge, Brandt Snedeker, Gary Woodland, Kevin Streelman, Bill Haas, D.A. Points, Graham DeLaet, Boo Weekley
Top 60 point leaders and ties from the current Official World Golf Ranking as of May 26, 2014: Jimmy Walker, Ian Poulter, Victor Dubuisson, Patrick Reed, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Lee Westwood, Jamie Donaldson, Thomas Bjorn (WD, injury), Jonas Blixt, Ryan Moore, Stephen Gallacher, Harris English, Francesco Molinari, Matt Jones, Russell Henley, Joost Luiten, Matt Every, Chris Kirk, John Senden, Thongchai Jaidee, Kevin Stadler, Ryan Palmer, Richard Sterne (WD, injury)
Top 60 point leaders and ties from the current Official World Golf Ranking as of the week before the 2014 U.S. Open, June 9, 2014: Kevin Na, Bernd Wiesberger
U.S. Open International and Sectional Qualifying (June 2)
Walton Heath, England (June 26): Shane Lowry, Niclas Fasth, Simon Griffiths, Graeme Storm, Marcel Siem, Max Kieffer, Chris Doak, Garth Mulroy, Shiv Kapur, Brooks Koepka, Oliver Fisher, Tom Lewis, Andrea Pavan, Lucas Bjerregaard
Old Oaks Country Club / Century Country Club, Purchase N.Y. -- 80 players for 4 spots -- Fran Quinn, Rob Oppenheim, Jim Renner, Matthew Dobyns; Cameron Wilson (a) (IN, was alternate), Alternates: Jamie Lovemark
Quail Valley Golf Club, Vero Beach, Fla. -- 55 players for 4 spots -- Daniel Berger, Nicholas Lindheim, Andres Echavarria, Aron Price; Alternates: Sam Horsfield, Sebastian Maclean
Springfield Country Club, Springfield, Ohio -- 63 players for 3 spots -- Brian Stuard, Will Grimmer (a), Chris Thompson; Alternates: Andrew Dorn (a) (IN, replacing Thomas Bjorn), Daniel Stringfellow (a)
Emerald Valley Golf Course, Creswell, Ore. -- 50 players for 2 spots -- Zac Blair, Clayton Rask, Brandon McIlver (IN, was alternate)
Ansley Golf Club (Settindown Creek Course), Roswell, Ga. -- 31 players for 2 spots -- Henrik Norlander, Smylie Kaufman (a); Alternates: Trevor Cone (a), Michael Hebert
Woodmont Country Club (North Course), Rockville, Md. -- 59 players for 4 spots -- Chad Collins, Billy Hurley III, Donald Constable, Nicholas Mason; Alternates: John Mallinger, James Erkenbeck
Lakeside Country Club, Houston, Texas -- 56 players for 3 spots -- Cory Whitsett (a), Bobby Gates, Anthony Broussard; Alternates: William Kropp, Bronson Burgoon
Colonial Country Club, Memphis, Tenn. -- 145 players for 13 spots -- Hudson Swafford, J.B. Holmes, Kevin Kisner, Joe Ogilvie, David Gossett, David Toms, Jeff Maggert, Cody Gribble, Robby Shelton (a), Jason Millard, Casey Wittenberg, Brady Watt, Hunter Stewart (a); Alternates: Scott Langley (IN, replacing Richard Sterne), Sam Love (a)
Brookside Golf & Country Club / Scioto Country Club, Columbus, Ohio -- 120 players for 16 spots -- Justin Leonard, Seung-yul Noh, Justin Thomas, Rod Pampling, Bo Van Pelt, Mark Wilson, Paul Casey, Luke Guthrie, Kevin Tway, Robert Allenby, Aaron Baddeley, Hyung-sung Kim, Brett Stegmaier, Ken Duke, Ryan Blaum, Erik Compton; Alternates: Cameron Tringale, Michael Putnam
Lake Merced Golf Club / Olympic Club (Ocean Course), Daly City, Calif. -- 110 players for 5 spots -- Alex Cejka, Steven Alker, Maverick McNealy (a), Kevin Sutherland, Brian Campbell (a); Craig Barlow (IN, was 1st alternate)
