USGA cancels qualifying for 2020 US Open

The fields for the 2020 US Open and US Women's Open will be filled through exemptions only.

As ESPN's Bob Harig explained, the United States Golf Association has canceled all local and sectional qualifying for the events because of the coronavirus pandemic. The US Open remains scheduled for September 17-20 at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, New York, but it's not yet known if fans will be welcomed.

Recently, pros Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy hit out at the idea of major events such as the US Open and Ryder Cup occurring without spectators. On Sunday, McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler, and Matthew Wolff competed in a charity skins game at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida without fans.

Qualifying events for the US Open were originally scheduled to occur in the United States, Canada, Japan, and England, but issues such as coronavirus testing protocols made hosting such tournaments an impossible task.

According to Agence France-Presse (h/t Yahoo Sports), additional information regarding the altered exemption categories will become available down the road.