117TH U.S. OPEN PLAYERS GUIDE — Erin Hills | Erin, Wis. — June 15-18, 2017 conducted by the 2017 U.S. OPEN PLAYERS' GUIDE — 1 Exemption List THOMAShttp://www.golfstats.com/gs_scripts/golfstats/golfstats.php?guide=2017usopen&style=&tour=European&name=Thomas+Aiken&year=&tourn AIKEN ament=&in=Search Here are the golfers who are currently exempt from qualifying for the 117th U.S. Open Championship, with their exemption categories Thomashttp://www.owgr.com/Ranking/PlayerProfile.aspx?playerID=7679 Aiken is 183 in this week’s Official World Golf Ranking listed. Player Exemption Category Player Exemption Category Birth Date: July 16, 1983 Byeong-Hun An 14 Marc Leishman 14 Birthplace: Johannesburg, South Africa Daniel Berger 13, 14 Shane Lowry 12 Age: 33 Ht.: 5’10" Wt.: 175 Wesley Bryan 14 Hideki Matsuyama 13, 14 Home: Johannesburg, South Africa & Abaco, Bahamas Angel Cabrera 1 Graeme McDowell 1 Turned Professional: 2002 Rafael Cabrera Bello 14 William McGirt 13, 14 Paul Casey 13, 14 Rory McIlroy 1, 6, 7, 13, 14 Joined PGA Tour: 2016 Roberto Castro 13 Maverick McNealy (a) 4 Joined PGA European Tour: 2008 Kevin Chappell 13, 14 Phil Mickelson 6, 13, 14 PGAhttp://www.golfstats.com/gs_scripts/golfstats/golfstats.php?guide=2017usopen&stat=31&name=Thomas+Aiken&tour=European European Tour Playoff Record: 1-0 Brad Dalke (a) 2 Francesco Molinari 14 PGA European Tour Victories: 3 - 2011 Open de Espana; Jason Day 7, 8, 12, 13, 14 Kevin Na 12, 13 2013 Avantha Masters; 2014 Africa Open Jason Dufner 7, 12, 13 Alex Noren 9, 14 South African Victories: 2004 Vodacom Legends Tour at Ernie Els 6 Sean O’Hair 13 Zimbali, Vodacom Legends Tour at Sun City, Vodam Origins of Ross Fisher 14 Louis Oosthuizen 14 Golf Tour Championship. 2005 Telkom PGA Championship, Matthew Fitzpatrick 14 Pat Perez 14 MTC Namibian PGA Championship. 2010 Platinum Classic. Tommy Fleetwood 14 Scott Piercy 12, 14 Rickie Fowler 8, 14 Thomas Pieters 14 Player Notes: ELIGIBILITY: He shot a 68-67 for a 135 to earn Jim Furyk 12 Jon Rahm 14 one of 15 spots at England qualifying at Walton Heath Golf Club’s Sergio Garcia 5, 12, 14 Patrick Reed 13, 14 Old and New Courses. Lucas Glover 1 Justin Rose 1, 11, 14 First picked up a club at age 4 when his brother taught him the grip. Branden Grace 12, 14 Gene Sauers 10 By age 9, he was receiving instruction from renowned coach Mar- Scott Gregory (a) 3 Charl Schwartzel 13, 14 tin Witcher, who also taught Tony Johnstone and Mark McNulty. Emiliano Grillo 13, 14 Adam Scott 5, 13, 14 At age 14, he joined the academy at Randpark Golf Club. Bill Haas 14 Webb Simpson 1 Adam Hadwin 14 In 2001, Aiken was crowned South African Amateur of the Year Brandt Snedeker 13, 14 in recognition of ten wins and 15 top-three finishes. He also topped Brian Harman 14 Jordan Spieth 1, 5, 13, 14 the 2005 Sunshine Tour’s Winter Swing and competed on the Tyrell Hatton 14 Brendan Steele 14 Web.com Tour in 2007 before earning his European Tour card Russell Henley 14 Henrik Stenson 6, 14 through the Qualifying School Final Stage the same year. Charley Hoffman 14 Daniel Summerhays 12 J.B. Holmes 13, 14 He had his breakthrough on the European Tour with a victory in the Hideto Tanihara 14 2011 Open de Espana, which he dedicated to Seve Ballesteros, who Billy Horschel 14 Justin Thomas 13, 14 died on the weekend of the tournament. He added a second Euro- Yuta Ikeda 14 Jhonattan Vegas 13 pean Tour win in March 2013 at the Avantha Masters in India. Dustin Johnson 1, 12, 13, 14 Jimmy Walker 7, 13, 14 Zach Johnson 6, 12 Aiken loves all sports, especially rugby. He played cricket on the Jeunghun Wang 14 Martin Kaymer 1, 14 provincial level as a fast bowler, and in his mid-teens had to choose Bubba Watson 5, 13, 14 between tennis and golf, opting for the latter because the scenery Si Woo Kim 8, 13, 14 Lee Westwood 14 was more interesting. Sporting genes run in his family with his Kevin Kisner 13, 14 Bernd Wiesberger 14 mother, father and uncle all competing in various sports at the Russell Knox 13, 14 Danny Willett 5, 14 provincial level, and a brother who was one of South Africa’s top Brooks Koepka 14 Gary Woodland 13, 14 tennis players. Matt Kuchar 13, 14 — Key to Player Exemptions — 1) Winners of the U.S. Open Championship the last 10 years 9) Winner of the 2017 European Tour BMW PGA Championship (2007-16) 10) Winner of the 2016 U.S. Senior Open Championship 2) Winner and runner-up of the 2016 U.S. Amateur Championship (must be an amateur) 11) Winner of the 2016 Olympic Gold Medal 3) Winner of the 2016 Amateur Championship, conducted by The 12) From the 2016 U.S. Open Championship, the 10 lowest scorers and R&A (must be an amateur) anyone tying for 10th place 4) Winner of the 2016 Mark H. McCormack Medal (top-ranked in 13) Those players who qualified for the season-ending 2016 Tour WAGR & must be an amateur) Championship 5) Winners of the Masters Tournament the last five years (2013-17) 14) Top 60 point leaders and ties from the current World Ranking as of 6) Winners of the Open Championship, conducted by The R&A, the May 22, 2017 last five years (2012-16) 15) Top 60 point leaders and ties from the current World Ranking as of 7) Winners of the PGA of America Championship the last five years (2012-16) June 12, 2017 8) Winners of the Players Championship the last three years (2015-17) 16) Special exemptions selected by the USGA 2017 U.S. OPEN PLAYERS' GUIDE — 2 2014 Notes: Chalked up his third European win at Africa Open, Thomas Aiken defeating Oliver Fisher in a playoff. Had a pair of T-5th finishes at Yearly European Tour Statistics/Rank Joburg Open and Qatar Masters. One more top-ten on the European Year Starts Cuts Made Top-10s Wins Scoring Avg./Rank Money/Rank Tour, T-7th at BMW PGA Championship. He finished the year 2000http://www.golfstats.com/gs_scripts/golfstats/golfstats.php?guide=2017usopen&style=&tour=European&name=Thomas+Aiken&year=2000&t 1 0 0 0 76.00 ournament=&in=Search e0.00 e 55th in the Race to Dubai. 2002http://www.golfstats.com/gs_scripts/golfstats/golfstats.php?guide=2017usopen&style=&tour=European&name=Thomas+Aiken&year=2002&t 1 0 0 0 75.00 ournament=&in=Search 0.00 2005http://www.golfstats.com/gs_scripts/golfstats/golfstats.php?guide=2017usopen&style=&tour=European&name=Thomas+Aiken&year=2005&t 6 1 0 0 73.00 ournament=&in=Searche1,783.00 (329) 2015 Notes: Played in 20 events on the European Tour and had five 2006http://www.golfstats.com/gs_scripts/golfstats/golfstats.php?guide=2017usopen&style=&tour=European&name=Thomas+Aiken&year=2006&t 9 2 0 0 72.81 ournament=&in=Searche60,814.00 (178) top-10 finishes. Best was 4th at AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, also 2007http://www.golfstats.com/gs_scripts/golfstats/golfstats.php?guide=2017usopen&style=&tour=European&name=Thomas+Aiken&year=2007&t 4 2 0 0 71.67 ournament=&in=Searche18,948.00 (249) had a T-5th at The South African Open. Finished 66th in the Race 2008http://www.golfstats.com/gs_scripts/golfstats/golfstats.php?guide=2017usopen&style=&t 25 13 0 our=European&name=Thomas+Aiken&year=2008&t 0 72.03 (121) ournament=&in=Searche160,775.00 (131) to Dubai. Played in four PGA Tour events and best finish was 2009http://www.golfstats.com/gs_scripts/golfstats/golfstats.php?guide=2017usopen&style=&tour=European&name=Thomas+Aiken&year=2009&t 22 14 7 0 70.97 (54) ournament=&in=Searche660,322.00 (46) e T-23rd in the WGC-Cadillac Championship. Played in the 2010http://www.golfstats.com/gs_scripts/golfstats/golfstats.php?guide=2017usopen&style=&tour=European&name=Thomas+Aiken&year=2010&t 27 20 2 0 70.91 (35) ournament=&in=Search628,041.00 (58) 2011http://www.golfstats.com/gs_scripts/golfstats/golfstats.php?guide=2017usopen&style=&tour=European&name=Thomas+Aiken&year=2011&t 28 20 9 1 70.52 (19) ournament=&in=Searche1,055,894.00 (22) Web.com Tour Finals as one of six non-members seeking to secure 2012http://www.golfstats.com/gs_scripts/golfstats/golfstats.php?guide=2017usopen&style=&tour=European&name=Thomas+Aiken&year=2012&t 22 18 3 0 70.96 (45) ournament=&in=Searche563,621.17 (54) 2015-16 PGA Tour status. After missing the cut in the first three 2013http://www.golfstats.com/gs_scripts/golfstats/golfstats.php?guide=2017usopen&style=&tour=European&name=Thomas+Aiken&year=2013&t 25 14 3 1 71.11 (63) ournament=&in=Searche739,772.74 (44) Finals’ tournaments, needed a big week at the Web.com Tour 2014http://www.golfstats.com/gs_scripts/golfstats/golfstats.php?guide=2017usopen&style=&tour=European&name=Thomas+Aiken&year=2014&t 22 17 5 1 70.35 (20) ournament=&in=Searche666,286.00 (51) Championship to have any chance of earning his PGA Tour card 2015http://www.golfstats.com/gs_scripts/golfstats/golfstats.php?guide=2017usopen&style=&tour=European&name=Thomas+Aiken&year=2015&t 20 17 5 0 70.87 (67) ournament=&in=Searche557,209.00 (66) for the first time. Rounds of 69-67-69 and a Sunday 65 turned out 2016http://www.golfstats.com/gs_scripts/golfstats/golfstats.php?guide=2017usopen&style=&tour=European&name=Thomas+Aiken&year=2016&t 9 8 1 0 70.65 (18) ournament=&in=Searche498,819.00 (70) to be just enough.