Jon Rahm is the betting favorite at Torrey Pines this week.
Getty Images
It’s time for the third major championship of 2021: the U.S. Open. This year, the championship is returning to Torrey Pines in La Jolla, Calif., for the first time since 2008, when we bore witness to one of the most epic duels in golf history, as Rocco Mediate went toe-to-toe with Tiger Woods in a playoff, with Woods eventually emerging the victor. What drama will transpire this year? Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about the tournament field, including a complete list of competitors.
2021 U.S. Open Preview
Bryson DeChambeau won the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, which was played less than nine months ago. As venues, Torrey Pines and Winged Foot couldn’t be more different, but the two courses are sure to share one ubiquitous U.S. Open trait: they’ll both play tough as nails.
As defending champion, hopes are high for DeChambeau’s performance this week. When it comes to odds, he’s the third favorite at 16/1 (alongside Brooks Koepka and Xander Schauffele) and behind Jon Rahm (10/1) and Dustin Johnson (14/1).
For Rahm, a win this week would not only mark the first major championship of his career, it would also be his second victory at Torrey Pines. In 2017, his win at the Farmers Insurance Open was his first on the PGA Tour. Rahm is also primed for a big-time comeback statement, after a positive coronavirus test forced him to withdraw from the Memorial after the third round, when, after amassing a six-shot lead, Sunday’s round looked to be more of a coronation round than a competitive one. After a stint in PGA Tour-mandated isolation, he’s been cleared to play.
And what about Phil Mickelson? The newly-minted PGA champion has one rung left to climb on the career-grand-slam ladder. Could this be the week at last? We can’t wait to find out.
The fifth hole at Torrey Pines’ South Course.USGA/Kirk H. Owens
Who earns an invite to the PGA Championship?
The USGA — the governing body responsible for hosting the U.S. Open — lists 18 criteria for earning an invitation to Torrey Pines. They are as follows:
1. All former U.S. Open champions from the last 10 years (2011-2020)
2. The lowest 10 scorers and ties from the 2020 U.S. Open
3. The winner of the 2020 U.S. Amateur
4. The runner-up in the 2020 U.S. Amateur (permitted they remain an amateur)
5. Winners of the Masters from 2017-2021
6. Winners of the PGA Championship from 2016-2021
7. Winners of the Open Championship from 2016-2019
8. Winners of the Players Championship in 2019 and 2021
9. Winner of the 2020 BMW PGA Championship
10. Players who qualified for the 2020 Tour Championship
11. Winners of multiple full-point PGA Tour events from the originally scheduled 2020 U.S. Open to the 2021 U.S. Open.
12. The top 10 aggregate points earners that are not otherwise exempt from the three-event U.S. Open 2021 European qualifying series (Betfred British Masters, Made in Himmerland Championship and Prosche European Open).
13. Winner of the 2020 The Amateur Championship staged by the R&A (permitted they remain an amateur)
14. Winner of the 2020 Mark H. McCormack Medal for being the No. 1 player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (permitted they remain an amateur)
15. The top 60 points leaders and ties from the May 24, 2021 Official World Golf Ranking
16. The top 60 points leaders and ties from the June 7, 2021 Official World Golf Ranking (if not previously exempt)
17. The leading player from the 2020 Asian Tour Order of Merit; 2020 ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit and the 2021 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit
18. Special exemptions as selected by the USGA.
So, who made the cut? Check out the full field list below.
2021 U.S. Open field
Thomas Aiken Steve Allan Abraham Ancer Marcus Armitage Yosuke Asaji Chris Baker Luis Fernando Barco Paul Barjon Daniel Berger Christiaan Bezuidenhout Akshay Bhatia Richard Bland Hayden Buckley Sam Burns Rafael Cabrera Bello Patrick Cantlay Mario Carmona Paul Casey Cameron Champ Stewart Cink Wyndham Clark Eric Cole Corey Conners Pierceson Coody (a) Roy Cootes Dave Coupland Christopher Crawford Bryson DeChambeau Thomas Detry Harris English Tony Finau Matthew Fitzpatrick Tommy Fleetwood Dylan Frittelli Wilson Furr Luis Gagne Sergio Garcia Fabian Gomez Branden Grace Lanto Griffin Adam Hadwin Cole Hammer (a) Brian Harman Tyrrell Hatton Russell Henley James Hervol Garrick Higgo Joe Highsmith (a) Bo Hoag Charley Hoffman Tom Hoge Max Homa Billy Horschel Rikuya Hoshino Viktor Hovland Mackenzie Hughes John Huh Sungjae Im Ryo Ishikawa Dustin Johnson Zach Johnson Michael Johnson Matt Jones Sunghoon Kang Martin Kaymer Brad Kennedy Si Woo Kim Chan Kim Kevin Kisner Brooks Koepka Jason Kokrak Andrew Kozan (a) Matt Kuchar Martin Laird Rick Lamb Kyoung-Hoon Lee Marc Leishman Joe Long (a) Shane Lowry Robert MacIntyre Peter Malnati Hideki Matsuyama Rory McIlroy Adrian Meronk Troy Merritt Dylan Meyer Phil Mickelson Guido Migliozzi Francesco Molinari Edoardo Molinari Taylor Montgomery Collin Morikawa Sebastian Munoz Kevin Na Joaquin Niemann Wilco Nienaber Louis Oosthuizen Wade Ormsby Carlos Ortiz Alvaro Ortiz Charles Osborne (a) Ryan Palmer Taylor Pendrith Victor Perez Andy Pope J.T. Poston Ian Poulter Jon Rahm Spencer Ralston (a) Chez Reavie Patrick Reed Patrick Rodgers Justin Rose Sam Ryder Carson Schaake Xander Schauffele Scottie Scheffler Matthias Schmid (a) Charl Schwartzel Adam Scott Matthew Sharpstene (a) Robby Shelton Davis Shore Greyson Sigg Webb Simpson Cameron Smith Jordan Smith Matthew Southgate J.J. Spaun Jordan Spieth Hayden Springer Brendan Steele Henrik Stenson Tyler Strafaci Kevin Streelman Brian Stuard Zack Sucher Justin Suh Sahith Theegala (a) Justin Thomas Brendon Todd Erik Van Rooyen Johannes Veerman Jhonattan Vegas Jimmy Walker Matt Wallace Bubba Watson Kyle Westmoreland Lee Westwood Bernd Wiesberger Matthew Wolff Gary Woodland Dylan Wu Cameron Young Zach Zaback Will Zalatoris
As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Issue, which debuted in February 2018. Her original interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.
