Ryan Palmer, Mackenzie Hughes earn U.S. Open berths
Qualified: For the U.S. Open via their finishes in the PGA Tour's Memorial Tournament, Ryan Palmer and Mackenzie Hughes, the USGA announced Sunday. Palmer, an American who finished runner-up to Jon Rahm, and Hughes, a Canadian who tied for sixth, won spots in the U.S. Open on Sept. 17-20 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y. Under Category 16 of the USGA’s criteria, the top two players, not otherwise exempt, in the top 10 and ties of the Memorial, 3M Open, WGC FedEx St. Jude Invitational, Barracuda Championship and Wyndham Championship earn U.S. Open spots. So, too, will the top three, not otherwise exempt, in the top 10 and ties of the PGA Championship. The Open, original scheduled for its customary spot in mid-June, was postponed because of the global coronavirus pandemic and ultimately rescheduled for September as part of the PGA Tour’s revised schedule. One of the hallmarks of the U.S. Open, the potential for any player in the world who meets the eligibility criteria to qualify, also was a casualty to the pandemic. When the USGA canceled qualifying, it established an all-exempt formula for this most extraordinary of golf seasons. That’s how the revised exemption categories were established to fill out much of a field typically filled with qualifiers.
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