The 2007 Senior Open Championship, for sponsorship reasons named The Senior Open Championship presented by Aberdeen Asset Management, was a senior major golf championship and the 21st Senior Open Championship, held from 26 to 29 July at Muirfield in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom. It was the first Senior Open Championship played at the course and the fifth Senior Open Championship played as a senior major championship.[1]
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 26–29 July 2007 |
| Location | Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland 56°29′49″N 2°43′01″W / 56.497°N 2.717°W |
| Course(s) | Muirfield |
| Organised by | The R&A |
| Tour(s) | |
| Format | 72 holes stroke play |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 7,034 yd (6,432 m) |
| Field | 144 players, 77 after cut |
| Cut | 151 (+9) |
| Prize fund | US$2,000,000 £1,250,000 |
| Winner's share | US$320,176 |
| Champion | |
 Tom Watson | |
| 284 (E) | |
| Location map | |
  Muirfield Location in the United Kingdom  Muirfield Location in Scotland  Muirfield Location in East Lothian | |
Tom Watson won by one stroke over Stewart Ginn and Mark O'Meara to win his third Senior British Open title. The 2007 event was Watson's fifth senior major championship victory.[2][3][4]
Venue
edit
The club based at Muirfield, The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, was founded in 1744, being the oldest golf club in the world. The course, built in 1891 and designed by Old Tom Morris, had previously hosted The Open Championship 15 times, in 1980 won by Tom Watson.
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yards | 448 | 351 | 378 | 213 | 560 | 468 | 185 | 443 | 509 | 3,555 | 475 | 389 | 381 | 191 | 448 | 414 | 186 | 546 | 449 | 3,479 | 7,034 |
| Par | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 35 | 71 |
Source:[5]
Field
editThe field of 144 competitors comprised138 professionals and six amateurs.
18-hole stroke play qualifying rounds were held on Monday, 23 July, on three places in Scotland, Craigielaw Golf Club, Dunbar Golf Club and North Berwick Golf Club, for players who were not already exempt. 337 players entered the qualifying competitions and the leading 34 players joined the 110 exempt players for the championship.[6]
77 players made the 36-hole cut, all of them professionals and no amateurs. One of them withdraw after the third round.
Past champions in the field
editSeven past Senior Open champions participated. Five of them made the 36-hole cut; 2003 and 2005 champion Tom Watson (won), 2006 champion Loren Roberts (tied 4th), 1989 and 1993 champion Bob Charles (tied 34th), 2004 champion Pete Oakley (tied 48th) and 1988, 1990 and 1997 champion Gary Player (76th). 1987 champion Neil Coles and 2002 champion Noboru Sugai did not make the cut. The event marked the last appearance in the Senior Open for 72-year-old Coles, 20 years after winning the inaugural championship.
Past winners and runners-up at The Open Championship in the field
editThe field included six former winners of The Open Championship. Five of them made the cut; 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982 and 1983 Open champion Tom Watson (won) and 1998 Open champion Mark O'Meara (tied 2nd), 1987, 1990 and 1992 Open champion Nick Faldo (tied 14th),1963 Open champion Bob Charles (tied 34th) and 1959, 1968 and 1974 Open champion Gary Player (76th). 1969 Open champion Tony Jacklin did not make the cut.
The field also included eight former runners-up at The Open Championship; Gordon J. Brand (tied 10th), Tom Kite (tied 10th). Ben Crenshaw (tied 30th), Mark McNulty (tied 34th), Simon Owen (tied 38th), Costantino Rocca (tied 54th), Wayne Grady (missed cut) and Neil Coles (missed cut).
Final results
editSunday, 29 July 2007
| Place | Player | Score | To par | Money ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Watson |
70-71-70-73=284 | E | 320,176 |
| T2 |  Stewart Ginn |
71-70-69-75=285 | +1 | 166,885 |
| Mark O'Meara |
72-71-70-72=285 | |||
| T4 | Jay Haas |
70-75-73-70=288 | +4 | 75,585 |
| Lonnie Nielsen |
69-74-74-71=288 | |||
| Loren Roberts |
74-72-71-71=288 | |||
 Eduardo Romero |
70-71-73-74=288 | |||
| 8 | John Ross |
71-72-74-72=289 | +5 | 47,986 |
| 9 | Donnie Hammond |
73-71-71-75=290 | +6 | 43,055 |
| T10 |  Gordon J. Brand |
68-73-74-76=291 | +7 | 34,351 |
| Tom Kite |
70-76-74-71=291 | |||
 Des Smyth |
70-70-77-74=291 | |||
 Sam Torrance |
69-75-71-76=291 |
Source:[3]
References
edit- ^ "The Senior Open Championship". The R&A. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
- ^ "The Senior Open Championship presented by Aberdeen Asset Management – Results". European Tour. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ a b "Past results, The Senior Open". PGA Tour. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ "Watson Wins the Senior British Open". Golf Digest. 28 July 2007. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
- ^ "Senior Open Championship presented by Aberdeen Asset Management – Course Card". European Tour. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ "Record number to tee up at Pre Qualifying". European Tour. 23 July 2007. Retrieved 25 April 2022.