Senior Open Championship

The Senior Open Championship, or simply The Senior Open (and originally known as the Senior British Open) is a professional golf tournament for players aged 50 and over. It is run by The R&A, the same body that organises The Open Championship. Prize money won in the event is official money on both PGA Tour Champions (formerly the Senior PGA Tour and Champions Tour) and the European Senior Tour. The purse, which is fixed in United States dollars, was $2.5 million in 2021, with a winner's share of $392,800.[1] For sponsorship reasons, it is currently known as The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex.

The Senior Open Championship
Tournament information
LocationAuchterarder, Scotland, United Kingdom
Established1987
Course(s)Gleneagles Hotel
(King's Course)
Par70
Length6,859 yards (6,272 m)
Tour(s)European Senior Tour
PGA Tour Champions
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$2,500,000
Month playedJuly
Tournament record score
Aggregate263 Tom Watson (2003)
To par−18 Bernhard Langer (2014)
Current champion
Darren Clarke
Location Map
Gleneagles
Location in the United Kingdom
Gleneagles
Location in Scotland
Gleneagles
Location in Perth and Kinross

History

The tournament was first held 36 years ago in 1987 and became part of the European Seniors Tour schedule in 1992. It is younger than the PGA Seniors Championship, which started in 1957, as well as the U.S. Senior Open and the Senior PGA Championship. In late 2002 it was designated as the fifth major championship on the Champions Tour schedule.[2] Winners before 2003 were not retroactively designated as Champions Tour major winners until late 2018.[3][4][5] Winners gain entry into the following season's Open Championship. The event is usually held the week following The Open Championship, although in 1991 it was held the week before the Open and in 1998 it was held in August, three weeks after the Open.

The 2018 Senior Open was held at St Andrews for the first time, a decision which was heavily influenced by five-time Open champion Tom Watson.[6] In 2020, the championship was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]

Field

The standard field size is 144 players and an 18-hole qualifying round is held at the championship course on the Monday before the tournament, with a minimum of 24 places available. If fewer than 120 exempt players enter, the field is filled to 144 with more high finishers from qualifying. If more than 120 exempt players enter, the top 24 finishers earn entry even if it causes the field to expand beyond 144.[8]

Winners
YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runner(s)-upVenue
The Senior Open Championship
2022 Darren Clarke270−101 stroke Pádraig HarringtonGleneagles
2021 Stephen Dodd267−131 stroke Miguel Ángel JiménezSunningdale
2020Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[7]
2019 Bernhard Langer (4)274−62 strokes Paul BroadhurstRoyal Lytham & St. Annes
2018 Miguel Ángel Jiménez276−121 stroke Bernhard LangerSt Andrews
2017 Bernhard Langer (3)280−43 strokes Corey PavinRoyal Porthcawl
2016 Paul Broadhurst277−112 strokes Scott McCarronCarnoustie
2015 Marco Dawson264−161 stroke Bernhard LangerSunningdale
2014 Bernhard Langer (2)266−1813 strokes Colin MontgomerieRoyal Porthcawl
2013 Mark Wiebe271−9Playoff[lower-alpha 1] Bernhard LangerRoyal Birkdale
2012 Fred Couples271−92 strokes Gary HallbergTurnberry
2011 Russ Cochran276−122 strokes Mark CalcavecchiaWalton Heath
2010 Bernhard Langer279−51 stroke Corey PavinCarnoustie
2009 Loren Roberts (2)268−12Playoff[lower-alpha 2] Fred Funk
Mark McNulty		Sunningdale
2008 Bruce Vaughan278−6Playoff[lower-alpha 3] John CookRoyal Troon
2007 Tom Watson (3)284E1 stroke Stewart Ginn
Mark O'Meara		Muirfield
The Senior British Open Championship
2006 Loren Roberts274−6Playoff[lower-alpha 4] Eduardo RomeroTurnberry
2005 Tom Watson (2)280−4Playoff[lower-alpha 5] Des SmythRoyal Aberdeen
2004 Pete Oakley284−41 stroke Tom Kite
Eduardo Romero		Royal Portrush
Senior British Open
2003 Tom Watson263−17Playoff[lower-alpha 6] Carl MasonTurnberry
2002 Noboru Sugai281−32 strokes John IrwinRoyal County Down
2001 Ian Stanley278−6Playoff[lower-alpha 7] Bob Charles
2000 Christy O'Connor Jnr (2)275−92 strokes John Bland
1999 Christy O'Connor Jnr282−63 strokes John BlandRoyal Portrush
1998 Brian Huggett283−5Playoff[lower-alpha 8] Eddie Polland
1997 Gary Player (3)278−10Playoff[lower-alpha 9] John Bland
1996 Brian Barnes (2)277−113 strokes Bob Charles
David Oakley
1995 Brian Barnes281−7Playoff[lower-alpha 10] Bob Murphy
1994 Tom Wargo280−82 strokes Bob Charles
Doug Dalziel		Royal Lytham & St. Annes
1993 Bob Charles (2)291+71 stroke Tommy Horton
Gary Player
1992 John Fourie282−23 strokes Bob Charles
Neil Coles
Seniors' British Open
1991 Bobby Verwey285+11 stroke Bob Charles
Tommy Horton		Royal Lytham & St. Annes
Volvo Seniors' British Open
1990 Gary Player (2)280E1 stroke Deane Beman
Brian Waites		Turnberry
1989 Bob Charles269−117 strokes Billy Casper
1988 Gary Player272−81 stroke Billy Casper
Seniors' British Open
1987 Neil Coles279−11 stroke Bob CharlesTurnberry

Multiple winners

Seven players have multiple victories in the Senior Open Championship:

Winners of both The Open and The Senior Open

Four players have won both The Open Championship and The Senior Open Championship, (two of the professional majors run by the R&A).

PlayerThe Open ChampionshipThe Senior Open Championship
Gary Player1959, 1968, 19741988, 1990, 1997
Bob Charles19631989, 1993
Tom Watson1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 19832003, 2005, 2007
Darren Clarke20112022

Host courses

The Senior Open Championship has been played at the following courses, listed in order of number of times hosted (as of 2022):

Future venues
YearCourseTownCountyCountryDates
2023 Royal Porthcawl[9] Porthcawl Bridgend Wales 27–30 July

Notes
  1. Wiebe beat Langer with a par at the fifth extra hole. Play was suspended because of darkness after two holes of the playoff and the pair returned on Monday morning to complete it.
  2. Roberts beat McNulty with a par at the third extra hole. Funk was eliminated at the first extra hole where Roberts and McNulty had birdies.
  3. Vaughan beat Cook with a birdie at the first extra hole.
  4. Roberts beat Romero with a par at the first extra hole.
  5. Watson beat Smyth with a par at the third extra hole.
  6. Watson beat Mason with a par at the second extra hole.
  7. Stanley beat Charles with a par at the first extra hole.
  8. Huggett beat Polland with a par at the first extra hole.
  9. Player beat Bland with a birdie at the second extra hole.
  10. Barnes beat Murphy with an eagle at the third extra hole.

References
  1. "Senior Open Championship: results". PGA Tour. 24 July 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  2. Senior British Open now a Major
  3. Senior British Open elevated to Senior Major
  4. "PGA Tour Champions recognizes Gary Player's Senior British Open wins as major titles". thegolfnewsnet.com. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  5. Herrington, Ryan (21 December 2018). "How well do you remember what happened in golf in 2018? Take our quiz". Golf Digest. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  6. Inglis, Martin (3 February 2016). "Tom Watson plays key role as Senior Open heads to St Andrews". bunkered.
  7. Dempster, Martin (2 July 2020). "Senior Open cancelled for first time in its history". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  8. "The Senior Open Championship 2017 – Entry Form" (PDF). European Senior Tour. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  9. "Twitter Post by Legends Tour (Senior European Tour)". Twitter. Retrieved 11 April 2022.

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