Wednesday 14 March 2018 19:20, UK
Ernie Els and Jim Furyk have both been issued special exemptions to play the 118th US Open at Shinnecock Hills this summer.
Els won the US Open in 1994 and 1997 in the first of his four major titles, but his previous five-year exemption for winning the 2012 Open Championship expired last year.
The South African will make his 26th consecutive US Open appearance from June 14-17 in New York, having previously registered 10 top-10 finishes in the event.
"It's a thrill and I'm very grateful to the USGA," Els said. "Obviously the US Open means a lot to me. This is kind of where it all started, you might say.
"There are so many wonderful memories from US Opens and it's exciting to be able to keep that story going."
Els is one of only two non-US golfers to have won multiple US Opens in the modern era, while Ryder Cup captain Furyk won at Olympia Fields in 2003 and is also a three-time US Open runner-up.
"Getting to play in another US Open at a historic course like Shinnecock Hills really gets my competitive spirit flowing," Furyk said. "I've had great success in my many trips to the US Open and winning one is a highlight of my career."
The only other player to receive a special exemption into the US Open since 2010 was South African Retief Goosen in 2016.
Watch the US Open from June 14-16 live on Sky Sports Golf
