The United States Golf Association (USGA) has accepted 7,820 entries for the 2003 US Open at Olympia Fields near Chicago, its lowest number in five years.
When the 1998 Open was held at the Olympic Club in San Francisco entries were only 7,117 compared to last year's entry of 8,648 for Bethpage in New York.
Local qualifying for the second major of the year starts on May 6th with sectional qualifying on June 2nd-3rd before the Championship takes place from June 12th-15th.
Sixty-three golfers, including nine past champions, are currently fully exempt from qualification.
The number will increase with the inclusion of the top 50 players from the world rankings, the top 10 money leaders on the US Tour and the top two money leaders on the European tour at the end of May.
Ireland's Padraig Harrington is one of the leading European players who is exempt from qualification because of his high world ranking - the Dubliner is currently 10th.
Past champions who are fully exempt:Ernie Els (1997,1994), Retief Goosen (2001), Hale Irwin (1990,1979,1974), Lee Janzen (1998,1993), Steve Jones (1996), Tom Kite (1992), Corey Pavin (1995), Tom Watson (1982) and Tiger Woods (2002,2000).
Exempt Europeans:Thomas Bjorn, Nick Faldo, Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Paul Lawrie, Colin Montgomerie, Jose Maria Olazabal and Justin Rose.