The defending Shinnecock Hills champion is not in the field for this year's US Open
Why Isn’t Retief Goosen Playing In The US Open?
Two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen, and winner the last time it was hosted at Shinnecock Hills, is not in the field for this year’s tournament.
The 49-year-old was not given an exemption and then failed to qualify at sectional qualifying in Memphis. Goosen’s four-under total was three short of a playoff.
The South African, bizarrely, was not given an exemption into the field at Shinnecock despite winning the tournament there in 2004 where he tamed the brutal conditions to beat Phil Mickelson by two.
Both Ernie Els, winner in 1994 and 1997, and Jim Furyk, champion in 2003, have been given special exemptions into this year’s event.
Goosen described the lack of exemption as “disappointing” to the New York Post.
“They rung me about two weeks before (Els and Furyk’s invites were announced) and told me, ‘Sorry, it doesn’t look like the exemption’s going to go to you.’
“Obviously, they felt Ernie and Jim were a little bit more qualified for the event than I am.’’
Goosen received an invite into the 2016 US Open at Oakmont and that is almost certainly why he hasn’t been invited into this year’s tournament.