Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey, England, will be one of two International Qualifying venues to determine spots for the 2005 US Open Championship, the United States Golf Association has announced.
The 36 hole International Qualifiers will be conducted at Walton Heath, venue for The 1981 Ryder Cup, on Monday, June 6 and Ono Golf Club near Kobe, Japan, the previous Monday (May 30). The remaining 11 sectional qualifiers will be held on June 6 and 7 at sites in the USA.
The 2005 US Open Championship will be held from June 16-19 at Pinehurst (No. 2 Course) Resort and Country Club in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Sectional qualifiers historically determine roughly 80 spots in the 156 player field, with the remaining golfers having earned full exemptions from having to qualify.
The move is intended to encourage participation from a growing number of international players who are exempt from first-stage qualifying but who, historically, have not competed in the final stage of qualifying in the USA because of scheduling and travel-related issues.
The England qualifier will be aided by officials from The European Tour and The R&A. The Japan qualifier will be conducted with assistance from officials of the Japan Golf Association.
