Six players added to U.S. Open field
Six players -- one fully-exempt and five alternates -- were added to the field for this week's U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club, filling out the 156-player lineup.
The U.S. Golf Association filled out the field Monday for this week's U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club by adding one fully exempt player and five alternates from last week's sectional qualifying to complete the 156-player lineup.
PGA Tour player Kyle Stanley earned his exemption for being in the top 60 of the Official World Golf Ranking as of Monday. Stanley, 25, of Gig Harbor, Wash., saw Merion in 2005 when he competed in the U.S. Amateur. This will be his fourth appearance in the Open.
The USGA held six spots in the field for anyone who moved into the top 60 of the latest rankings. Since Stanley was the only player to get in, five alternates were added. They are:
Mike Weir of Canada, first alternate from the Columbus, Ohio, qualifier.
Harold Varner III of Gastonia, N.C., first alternate from the Rockville, Md., qualifier.
Ryan Palmer of Colleyville, Texas, first alternate from the Dallas qualifier.
Ryan Yip of Indio, Calif., first alternate from the Springfield, Ohio.
Rikard Karlberg of Sweden, first alternate from the London international qualifier.
The field for the Open now includes 76 full exempt players and 80 from sectional qualifying.
Brandon Matthews, a sophomore-to-be at Temple, did not get the call Monday but remains on the alternate list after winning first alternate honors at the Purchase, N.Y., qualifier.
Weir, the 2003 Masters champion, is playing in his 13th U.S. Open. Palmer is competing in his fourth and Karlberg in his second.
Varner and Yip are playing in their first Opens. Yip, who is originally from Canada, competed in the 2005 U.S. Amateur at Merion and made it to the quarterfinals.
--Joe Juliano