For the second straight year, Ernie Els will receive a special exemption into the U.S. Open.
Els was among the initial 50 exempt players for the June 13-16 major championship at Pebble Beach Golf Links, a list that also included two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka and recent Masters champion Tiger Woods.
The 49-year-old South African has two U.S. Open titles to his credit, 1994 at Oakmont and 1997 at Congressional. He is one of 19 players who have won multiple U.S. Opens. In 26 career starts in the championship, Els has posted 10 top-10s. His first start came in 1993, a year after the 1992 edition at Pebble.