A record 8,457 entries, including three Irish challengers, have been accepted for this year's 100th US Open which will be played at Pebble Beach on June 15th to 18th. This is an increase of 568 on last year's total.

In all, 8,857 entries were received but 400 were rejected because candidates had played poorly in past qualifying rounds or had a USGA handicap higher than 1.4 exact. Naturally, these did not include Darren Clarke nor Padraig Harrington who are among 68 exempted players, while Paul McGinley will be competing in sectional qualifying in New Jersey.

Past champions fully exempt are Lee Janzen (1993, 1998), Ernie Els (1994, 1997), Steve Jones (1996), Corey Pavin (1995), Tom Kite (1992), Hale Irwin (1974, 1979, 1990), Curtis Strange (1988, 1989), Tom Watson (1982) and Jack Nicklaus (1962, 1967, 1972, 1980). Champions receive full exemptions for 10 years but special exemptions have been extended to Strange, Watson and Nicklaus.

Sadly, the death last October of Payne Stewart will make this the second time in the modern era that a champion will not be defending the title. It also happened in 1949 when Ben Hogan was unable to defend because of a nearfatal car accident in February of that year.

Incidentally, the most exempt of all the exempted players is Tiger Woods who qualifies in five different categories - as winner of the US Masters during the last five years, as winner of the USPGA Championship during the last five years, as one of the top-15 finishers in last year's US Open, as one of the top-30 in the 1999 US money list and as a top-20 player in the final world rankings of 1999.

Richard Coughlan is one man who isn't happy to see the NGA Hooters Tour in the United States head into a three-week sabbatical until the first week in June.

For the second week in succession, the former Walker Cup player challenged for a title on what is regarded as the number one development tour in the United States. Following his third-place finish in Lewisburg, Tennessee, the previous week, Coughlan fired a closing round 71 on Sunday for nine-under-par 279 which was sufficient to give him second place behind American Mark Wilson in the Hooters Classic in Maryville, Tennessee.

Coughlan earned almost $6,000 and jumped into the top 25 on the moneylist - but he will have to wait until the tour moves to Decatur in Alabama in three weeks time to maintain his good form.