US Open at Oakmont attracts 8,544 entries

NEW YORK, Apr 27 (Reuters) More than 8,000 entries have been received for this year's US Open at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania, the United States Golf Association (USGA) said today.

The figure of 8,544 applicants for the June 14-17 tournament is just 504 shy of the record 9,048 received for the 2005 US Open at Pinehurst in North Carolina.

''Eighty-eight per cent of the total entries were received online, including 706 on the final day (April 25) that applications were accepted,'' the USGA said in a statement.

To be eligible to enter the US Open, the second of the year's four majors, a player must be a professional or have a handicap of 1.4 or better.

The youngest applicant for this year's championship is 12-year-old Brad Nelson of Ponte Vedra, Florida while the oldest is 76-year-old Ordean Olson, a professional from Hollywood, Florida.

Local qualifying for the US Open starts on May 2 at more than 100 venues after which 36 holes of sectional qualifying will be held at 14 venues from May 28 to June 4.

For the third year in a row, two of the sectional qualifiers are international and will be played at Ohtone Country Club near Ibaraki, Japan on May 28 and at Walton Heath Golf Club on the outskirts of London, England on June 4.

The 2007 US Open will be staged for a record eighth time at Oakmont where Australia's Geoff Ogilvy will defend the title he won last year by a shot at Winged Foot.

REUTERS DKS BST0542