U.S. Open Format

With play occurring over a full week, the tournament days are Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The 4-day championship consists of 18-holes a day. The format for play is stroke play, where players count their shots each day and the aim of having the fewest shots overall over the four days of play. The U.S. Open is available to any amateur or professional with a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 1.4. Players may obtain a place by being fully exempt or by competing sucessfully in qualifying. To be exempt from playing in qualifiers and be granted a spot in the field, golfers must have competed and won various worldwide golf tournaments or high rankings.

The field begins with 156 players, about half of which compete in qualifiers, the others are exempt and granted a place automatically by their classification of exemption. For the weekend, the top 60 players in the field (including ties) make the cut. If there is a tie at the end, a play-off will ensue; this used to be 18-holes which was seen in 2008 at Torrey Pines when Tiger Woods beat Rocco Mediate. From 2018, the USGA Open play-off follows a play-off of a two-hole aggregate with the leader after two holes crowned champion, followed by sudden death if players are still tied.

U.S. Open Fast History

• • Defending Champion: Wyndham Clark, 2023 (Los Angeles Country Club)

• • USGA Open Established: 04 October 1895 (2021 will be the 121st U.S. Open)

• • Lowest Aggregate Score: 268, Rory McIlroy (2011)

• • Lowest Score to Par: -16, Rory McIlroy (2011) & Brooks Koepka (2017)

• • Most Consecutive Attempts in Top 10: 16 by Ben Hogan 1940-1956

• • Largest Margin of Victory: 15 Strokes by Tiger Woods, 2000 (an all-time record for all majors)

• • Youngest Winner: John McDermott in 1911 at 19 years, 315 days

• • Most Amount of times hosting the U.S. Open: Nine – Oakmont Country Club, Pennsylvania (1927, 1935, 1953, 1962, 1973, 1983, 1996, 2007, 2016)