There will be 156 players in the field and about 75 will be given full exemptions through various criteria. The special exemptions include Raymond Floyd , the 1986 winner at Shinnecock, who has not played in an Open since 1995. The rest of the field will get to the Open through the brutal task of qualifying. The qualifying route includes local qualifying and sectional qualifying. Players can get partial exemptions which allow them to go right to the sectional qualifiers.

In a year reminiscent of 2003, there will be no Long Island golf professionals in this year's US Open at Shinnecock. The nine pros who made it through local qualifying all failed in their bid to get through the sectionals held June 7 at Canoe Brook Country Club in New Jersey.