U.S. Open field climbs to 95 fully exempt players

The number of exempt players for the U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club has jumped to 95 with the release of Monday's latest Official World Golf Rankings and the advancement of players through sectional qualifying in England and Japan.

Twenty-five players were added via the world rankings, which provide a full exemption for anyone ranked in the top 60 as of May 27. Another, Matteo Manassero, received an invitation based on his win Sunday in the BMW PGA Championship in England.

In addition, 12 players, led by Simon Kahn, who lost in a playoff to Manassero at the BMW PGA, advanced Monday in a 36-hole qualifier in Walton Heath, England, and five more moved into the Open in a qualifier at Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.

Sectional qualifying will be conducted Monday over 36 holes at 11 U.S. sites to round out the field for the Open. In addition, any player who rises into the Top 60 on the Monday of U.S. Open week also will be eligible to compete.

Here are the latest exempt players:

From the World Golf Rankings: Tim Clark, George Coetzee, Nicolas Colsaerts, Jason Day, Jamie Donaldson, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Branden Grace, Bill Haas, Peter Hanson, Russell Henley, Billy Horschel, Fredrik Jacobsen, Thongchai Jaidee, Martin Laird, Paul Lawrie, Marc Leishman, Francesco Molinari, Thorbjorn Olesen, D.A. Points, Ian Poulter, Marcel Siem, Henrik Stenson, Richard Sterne, Kevin Streelman, Boo Weekley.

BMW PGA winner: Manassero.

England qualifier: Simon Khan, Paul Casey, Jaco Van Zyl, Morten Madsen, Peter Hedblom, Eddie Pepperell, Marcus Fraser, Jose Maria Olazabal, David Howell, John Parry, Estanislao Goya, Chris Doak.

Japan qualifiers: Hideki Matsuyama, Hwang-Jun Gon, Yui Ueda, Hiroyuki Fujita, Yoshinobu Tsukada.

--Joe Juliano