U.S Open qualifying CANCELLED

The coronavirus has already disturbed the golf calendar to an extreme degree, with major championship being postponed, plus multiple PGA Tour events being axed and now, U.S Open qualifying - one of the most historic traditions in the sport - has been cancelled.

The 2020 U.S Open at Winged Foot, which was already moved from June to September due to the coronavirus outbreak, has had open qualifying since 1924.

Given continued health and safety concerns, the U.S. Open will be played at Winged Foot Golf Club from Sept. 17-20 without qualifying, which means the field will be filled entirely through exemptions.

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) May 18, 2020

Typically, the USGA announces that half of the 156-man field that play in the U.S Open have been through either 36-hole qualifying or 18-hole and 36-hole qualifying.

Over 9,000 people apply to play in the U.S Open, something that the USGA are proud of and even included in their marketing campaign earleir this year, named 'From Many, One' to highlight how thousands of people enter and only one can win.

The USGA is yet to announce how other players would become exempt, which leaves question marks around Phil Mickelson who is still yet to qualify for the U.S Open, the only major he is yet to win.

Mickelson had previously stated that if he doesn't qualify or become exempt then he would not ask the USGA for an exemption and he would not play.

In 2006, Mickelson double-bogeyed the final hole at Winged Foot to lose the U.S Open by one shot.

"As you can imagine, this was an incredibly difficult decision, as qualifying is a cornerstone of USGA championships," said John Bodenhamer, senior managing director of championships for the USGA.

"We take great pride in the fact that many thousands typically enter to pursue their dream of qualifying for the US Open and we deeply regret that they will not have that opportunity this year."