A sign identifying the Pinehurst No. 2 golf course at the Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in Pinehurst, N.C.Gerry Broome/The Associated Press
For the second straight year, the U.S. Open has attracted a record number of entries. The United States Golf Association says it received a total of 10,127 entries by the April 23rd deadline for the tournament, which will be played June 12-15 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in Northern Carolina.
The number of applicants eclipsed the previous best of 9,860 for last year's U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania.
Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask. is the only Canadian among the 51 golfers who are fully exempt into the second of the year's four golf majors. Defending champion Justin Rose of England along with 11 other former champions are also in the field.
Local qualifying for the U.S. Open will be held at 111 venues from May 2-19 after which 36 holes of sectional qualifying will take place at 12 locations from May 26-June 2.
For the 10th year in a row, two of the sectional qualifiers are international. One will be held in Japan and the other in England, both on May 26.
The U.S. Open will be held for a third time on the classic No. 2 Course at Pinehurst with its notorious upturned-saucer greens.
The most recent U.S. Open staged there was in 2005, won by New Zealand's Michael Campbell.
With files from Reuters