There was a time when amateurs winning the U.S. Open was, well, a thing. Francis Ouimet famously pulled off the feat for the first time in 1913 at The Country Club, stunning professional legends Harry Vardon and Ted Ray to change the way Americans approached the sport altogether. In the next 20 years, four players—Jerome Travers, Chick Evans, Bobby Jones and Johnny Goodman—followed suit, winning seven times, Jones most famously claiming four himself (1923, 1926, 1929 and 1930).

Nearly a century later, expecting an amateur to win the USGA's marquee championship is quite the ask. The closest anyone has come is Jack Nicklaus' runner-up showing at the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills. But that doesn't mean the 16 golfers playing for pride rather than a paycheck can't acquit themselves well this week at Pinehurst No. 2. All they need to do is look back five months, to when reigning U.S. Amateur champion Nick Dunlap pulled out an unexpected victory at The American Express, the first by an amateur on the PGA Tour in 33 years. Yes, the final-round pressure would be exponentially greater at a major. But the talent and determination shown by the amateurs who are in the 2024 U.S. Open field suggests they are interested in playing more than supporting roles in this year's production.

Some of the amateurs in the field already have pedigrees for common golf fans—Gordon Sargent is the World No. 1 and has a PGA Tour card locked up for whenever he wants to turn pro; and Neal Shipley became a viral sensation in April after making the cut at the Masters, outplaying Tiger Woods when paired with him on the weekend and earning low amateur honors. Below are all 16 who have played their way into this week's championship at Pinehurst, with a few fun facts for you to know as you potentially see their names pop-up on the leaderboard.

Parker Bell

Tallahassee, Fla.
Age: 20
How he got in U.S. Open: Final Qualifying
World Amateur Golf Ranking: 141

The rising junior at Florida got a bit of redemption for losing in the semifinals at last year’s U.S. Amateur (and missing out on earning an exemption into the U.S. Open) by getting through a playoff to earn one of the last spots at the Final Qualifier in Dallas.

Gunnar Broin
Shorewood, Minn.
Age: 22
How he got in U.S. Open: Local and Final Qualifying
WAGR: 477

Like 2019 U.S. Open champ Gary Woodland, Broin transferred to Kansas to play college golf. But Broin is believed to be the first active Jayhawk to qualify and compete in a major.

Jackson Buchanan
Dacula, Ga.
Age: 22
How he got in U.S. Open: Final Qualifying
WAGR: 30

Buchanan, the reigning Big Ten player of the year and runner-up at the 2023 NCAA Championship, bogeyed his 36th hole of Final Qualifying a year ago to miss out on a playoff for a chance at getting into the U.S. Open at LACC. This year, he shared medalist honors at the Golf Club of Georgia.

Luke Clanton

Hialeah, Fla.
Age: 20
How he got in U.S. Open: Final Qualifying
WAGR: 6

Clanton, who was a semifinalist at the 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur when it was held at nearby C.C. of North Carolina, won three college titles this spring for Florida State before finishing in a share of second at the NCAA Championship. He also helped lead the Seminoles to the team finals before they fell to Auburn.

Santiago De la Fuente
Mexico
Age: 22
How he got in U.S. Open: Latin America Amateur champion
WAGR: 26

De la Fuente, low amateur at the PGA Tour’s Mexico Open earlier this year, is in the midst of a three-major season in 2024 thanks to his victory in January at the Latin America Amateur Championship. He missed the cut at the Masters in April and will play at Royal Troon next month in the 152nd Open Championship.

Stewart Hagestad

Newport Beach, Calif.
Age: 33
How he got in U.S. Open: U.S. Mid-Amateur champion
WAGR: 18

Hagestad is playing in his fifth U.S. Open, the most appearances by an amateur since Jay Sigel played in his fifth U.S. Open in 1989. Hagestad’s best finish at the U.S. Open is 64th at The Country Club in 2022.

Ben James
Milford, Conn.
Age: 21
How he got in U.S. Open: Final Qualifying
WAGR: 5

James just wrapped up his sophomore season at Virginia by finishing tied for second at the NCAA Championship and earned first-team All-American honors for a second year. By doing so, the 2023 U.S. Walker Cup team member also became the first Cavalier to be a first-teamer in multiple seasons.

Bryan Kim
Brookeville, Md.
Age: 19
How he got in U.S. Open: U.S. Junior Amateur champion
WAGR: 211

Kim won the U.S. Junior title last July in wild fashion at Daniel Island Club in South Carolina: The 36-hole championship match stretched into two days due to weather and had six lead changes. Kim made birdie on the 35th hole to take lead for good and won 36th hole for a 2-up victory.
source: https://www.golfdigest.com/story/us-open-2024-16-interesting-facts-about-the-16-amateurs-competing-pinehurst