The Loop

9 guys you may be shocked aren't exempt for the U.S. Open

May 31, 2014

We all know Tiger Woods won't be playing in this year's U.S. Open, but there are plenty of other notable golfers who aren't in the field at Pinehurst No. 2 -- yet. Here are nine big-time players who will need big Mondays at various sectional qualifiers to get into the year's second major championship.

Vijay Singh: A 34-time PGA Tour winner and a former World No. 1, Singh has three majors to his credit, but no U.S. Opens. He'd really like to have another chance at Pinehurst, where he finished tied for third and tied for sixth in the two previous U.S. Opens played there.

Davis Love III: The 2012 U.S. Ryder Cup captain has 20 PGA Tour titles and was a runner-up to Steve Jones in the 1996 U.S. Open.

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David Duval: A 13-time PGA Tour winner, a former World No. 1, and the 2001 British Open champ, Duval nearly won the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black.

Lee Janzen: The only U.S. Open champion entered in sectional qualifying, Janzen, 49, has two national titles to his name, but he hasn't played in the event since 2008, when his 10-year exemption for winning at Olympic in 1998 ran out.

Paul Casey: After a few injury-plagued years, the Englishman, who was once ranked as high as No. 3 in the world, seems back on form with a recent 27 on the back nine at Colonial and an opening 66 at the Memorial.

K.J. Choi: The South Korean has played in 13 straight U.S. Opens and won the Players, his last of eight PGA Tour titles, just three years ago.

Justin Leonard: The 1992 U.S. Amateur champ and 1997 British Open champ has 12 PGA Tour titles, but none in six years.

David Toms: The 2001 PGA champ has 13 PGA Tour wins and three top-five finishes at the U.S. Open.

Michael Thompson: The 29-year-old came up a shot short of Webb Simpson at the U.S. Open two years ago at Olympic Club and won the 2013 Honda Classic.