Who is not playing in the 2024 US Open? The big names missing from Pinehurst

Poulter and Westwood at LIV Miami 2024

8 high-profile names will be absent at Pinehurst No.2 when the 2024 US Open gets underway. But who are they and why have they missed out?

It’s known as one of the toughest tests in golf for a reason, with course setups designed to make or break the best golfers in the world the US Open demands the most precise play you can imagine. The conditions required for qualifying can be just as tough, with local qualifying seeing almost 10,000 competitors filtered down to 937 finalists.

Of those finalists, only 68 players managed to continue their journey to make up the 156-strong field at Pinehurst’s second course. Here’s our breakdown of some of the biggest names that didn’t manage to make next week’s 3rd Major Championship of 2024.

Joaquin Niemann

First US Open – 2017, Best Finish – T23rd, 2020

The Chilean golfer, whose performances this year have been emblematic of a man not interested in what the scripts say he should be doing, discovered at The Bear’s Club that sometimes even his sheer willpower can’t overcome the exacting standards the USGA demands of US Open entrants.

With a pair of 1-under 71s not enough to secure a final spot on the board he, alongside fellow LIV player Anirban Lahiri, came up one shot shy of the 3-under score that eventually saw the chance to join the field at Pinehurst go to Willie Mach III.

Patrick Reed

First US Open – 2014, Best Finish – 4th, 2018

Underestimated at times, both before and after his move to Greg Norman’s Tour, Reed has been ever-present at the Majors since the 2014 Masters. This US Open will see a 42-event streak come to a close, regardless of his play up until this June though.

Originally slated to appear at Dallas Athletic Club with Sergio Garcia, Reed withdrew before the opening round commenced, with the USGA stating he could no longer apply to play at another event due to the withdrawal.

Luke Donald

First US Open – 2002, Best Finish – T8th, 2013

The qualifying process makes no exceptions to the prestige of the golfer or any role they may currently inhabit. So, like many others with tour status, the Ryder Cup captain found himself teeing up on the 1^st hole of The Bear’s Club, looking to conjure up the form that saw him compete a month before at this year’s PGA Championship.

Donald, unfortunately, shot combined rounds of 75 and 79 for a +10 total to miss the cutline and sit out the trip to the Donald Ross-designed US classic.

Lee Westwood

First US Open – 1997, Best Finish – 3rd, 2008

One of a curious few who didn’t choose to pursue entry into the third Major of the year, Lee Westwood’s performances at the US Open, while never resulting in a win, have always shown the quality of the player at hand, making his decision to avoid the challenge of Final Qualifying slightly baffling.

We could potentially point out that the last time the USGA’s tournament visited Pinehurst, Westwood failed to make the cut, or perhaps it’s a choice that the veteran player, along with fellow Englishmen and LIV competitors Ian Poulter and Paul Casey, has taken due to schedule or even that his current form doesn’t warrant an attempt at golf’s toughest test.

Bernd Weisberger

First US Open – 2014, best Finish – T16, 2017

Ex-LIV Pro Bernd Weisberger has also not been able to reach the 124th US Open. The one-time Ryder Cup Europe team member had returned to the DP World Tour circuit as of 2024 but still found himself needed to finish in the top nine places for Final Qualifying at Walton Heath Golf Club in the UK to be able to book a flight to North Carolina.

Bernd was in a great position to push on towards Pinehurst’s No.2 course after a first-round 4-under 68, but failed to capitalize on the solid start, making four bogeys and four birdies to shoot an even-par second-round, falling four short of the number needed to force a playoff.

Louis Oosthuizen

First US Open – 2010, Best Finish – 2nd, 2021

Despite 3^rd and 2^nd place finishes in the 2020 and 2021 US Opens, respectively, the South African from Mossel Bay has decided against revisiting the third Major of the year by skipping the qualifying process altogether.

With decisions to miss both The Masters, the first time in 15 years he hasn’t made an appearance at the hallowed grounds in the state of Georgia, and to decline an invitation to play at Valhalla for the 2024 PGA Championship, it will be interesting to see if the easy-going man from Mossel Bay skips even his solo Major-winning event in the British Open later this year.

Talor Gooch

First US Open – 2017, Best Finish – 66th, 2017

Get the asterisks ready! After his mix-up last year assuming he had earned a spot from reaching the PGA Tour championship (a place withdrawn from him after having his PGA membership suspended after choosing to switch allegiances to LIV Tour), Talor has decided to forego qualifying entirely for 2024.

Citing schedule conflicts, a conflict notably absent from many other LIV players’ diaries, Gooch will miss another year’s US Open. What this means for the rest of the field venturing to Pinehurst next week is unclear, but we wait to see what will come of his lack of inclusion with avid interest.

Luke List

First US Open – 2003, Best Finish – No Cuts Made

Having briefly broken back into the top 60 with a T2 finish at the Genesis Invitational, a string of 6 out of 9 missed cuts in events since then had dropped him back to 73^rd in the OWGR.

Without an invite to this week’s Memorial Tournament, Luke looked to book his place at the USGA’s premiere event through the qualifying stage held at OSU Golf Club, Columbus, alongside Seamus Power and Brendan Todd. The Augusta native narrowly missed out on his Pinehurst goal, with just the one shot separating him and the playoff that helped the aforementioned Todd to secure his place.

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About the author

Lewis Daff

Lewis Daff joined the Today’s Golfer digital team in 2024, having spent more than a decade in both big box golf retail and independent stores, working as a club fitter and builder.

Experienced with every level of golfer, from beginner to professional, he has achieved Master Fitter and Builder status with most major manufacturers, including Mizuno, Taylormade, and Callaway, helping him to cement both a wide and deep knowledge base. Lewis specializes in Clubs, Shafts, Training Aids, Launch Monitors and Grips.

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