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 jointly owned and run by The R&A, the same body that organises The Open Championship, and the PGA European Tour.[1] 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, had increased to $2.75 million for 2023.[2][3]

The Senior Open Championship
Tournament information
LocationVarious in United Kingdom
Established1987
Course(s)Various in United Kingdom
Organised byThe R&A and
PGA European Tour
Tour(s)European Senior Tour
PGA Tour Champions
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$2,780,000 (2024)
Month playedJuly
Tournament record score
Aggregate263 Tom Watson (2003)
To par−18 Bernhard Langer (2014)
Current champion
South Korea K. J. Choi

History

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The tournament was first held 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.[4] Winners before 2003 were not retroactively designated as Champions Tour major winners until late 2018.[5][6][7] 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.[8] In 2020, the championship was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9]

Field

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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.[10]

Winners

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Year Winner Score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up Venue
The Senior Open Championship
2024   K. J. Choi 278 −10 2 strokes   Richard Green Carnoustie
2023   Alex Čejka 289 +5 Playoff[a]   Pádraig Harrington Royal Porthcawl
2022   Darren Clarke 270 −10 1 stroke   Pádraig Harrington Gleneagles
2021   Stephen Dodd 267 −13 1 stroke   Miguel Ángel Jiménez Sunningdale
2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[9]
2019   Bernhard Langer (4) 274 −6 2 strokes   Paul Broadhurst Royal Lytham & St. Annes
2018   Miguel Ángel Jiménez 276 −12 1 stroke   Bernhard Langer St Andrews
2017   Bernhard Langer (3) 280 −4 3 strokes   Corey Pavin Royal Porthcawl
2016   Paul Broadhurst 277 −11 2 strokes   Scott McCarron Carnoustie
2015   Marco Dawson 264 −16 1 stroke   Bernhard Langer Sunningdale
2014   Bernhard Langer (2) 266 −18 13 strokes   Colin Montgomerie Royal Porthcawl
2013   Mark Wiebe 271 −9 Playoff[b]   Bernhard Langer Royal Birkdale
2012   Fred Couples 271 −9 2 strokes   Gary Hallberg Turnberry
2011   Russ Cochran 276 −12 2 strokes   Mark Calcavecchia Walton Heath
2010   Bernhard Langer 279 −5 1 stroke   Corey Pavin Carnoustie
2009   Loren Roberts (2) 268 −12 Playoff[c]   Fred Funk
  Mark McNulty
Sunningdale
2008   Bruce Vaughan 278 −6 Playoff[d]   John Cook Royal Troon
2007   Tom Watson (3) 284 E 1 stroke   Stewart Ginn
  Mark O'Meara
Muirfield
The Senior British Open Championship
2006   Loren Roberts 274 −6 Playoff[e]   Eduardo Romero Turnberry
2005   Tom Watson (2) 280 −4 Playoff[f]   Des Smyth Royal Aberdeen
2004   Pete Oakley 284 −4 1 stroke   Tom Kite
  Eduardo Romero
Royal Portrush
Senior British Open
2003   Tom Watson 263 −17 Playoff[g]   Carl Mason Turnberry
2002   Noboru Sugai 281 −3 2 strokes   John Irwin Royal County Down
2001   Ian Stanley 278 −6 Playoff[h]   Bob Charles
2000   Christy O'Connor Jnr (2) 275 −9 2 strokes   John Bland
1999   Christy O'Connor Jnr 282 −6 3 strokes   John Bland Royal Portrush
1998   Brian Huggett 283 −5 Playoff[i]   Eddie Polland
1997   Gary Player (3) 278 −10 Playoff[j]   John Bland
1996   Brian Barnes (2) 277 −11 3 strokes   Bob Charles
  David Oakley
1995   Brian Barnes 281 −7 Playoff[k]   Bob Murphy
1994   Tom Wargo 280 −8 2 strokes   Bob Charles
  Doug Dalziel
Royal Lytham & St. Annes
1993   Bob Charles (2) 291 +7 1 stroke   Tommy Horton
  Gary Player
1992   John Fourie 282 −2 3 strokes   Bob Charles
  Neil Coles
Seniors' British Open
1991   Bobby Verwey 285 +1 1 stroke   Bob Charles
  Tommy Horton
Royal Lytham & St. Annes
Volvo Seniors' British Open
1990   Gary Player (2) 280 E 1 stroke   Deane Beman
  Brian Waites
Turnberry
1989   Bob Charles 269 −11 7 strokes   Billy Casper
1988   Gary Player 272 −8 1 stroke   Billy Casper
Seniors' British Open
1987   Neil Coles 279 −1 1 stroke   Bob Charles Turnberry

Multiple winners

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Seven players have multiple victories in the Senior Open Championship:

Winners of both The Open and The Senior Open

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

Player The Open Championship The Senior Open Championship
  Gary Player 1959, 1968, 1974 1988, 1990, 1997
  Bob Charles 1963 1989, 1993
  Tom Watson 1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983 2003, 2005, 2007
  Darren Clarke 2011 2022

Host courses

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The Senior Open Championship has been played at the following courses, listed in order of number of times hosted (as of 2024):

Future venues

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Year Course Town County Country Dates
2025 Sunningdale Golf Club Old Course Sunningdale Berkshire England 24–27 July

Notes

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  1. ^ Čejka beat Harrington with a birdie at the second extra hole.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Vaughan beat Cook with a birdie at the first extra hole.
  5. ^ Roberts beat Romero with a par at the first extra hole.
  6. ^ Watson beat Smyth with a par at the third extra hole.
  7. ^ Watson beat Mason with a par at the second extra hole.
  8. ^ Stanley beat Charles with a par at the first extra hole.
  9. ^ Huggett beat Polland with a par at the first extra hole.
  10. ^ Player beat Bland with a birdie at the second extra hole.
  11. ^ Barnes beat Murphy with an eagle at the third extra hole.

References

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  1. ^ Corrigan, James (15 June 2023). "Lee Westwood vows to never rejoin DP World Tour amid Senior Open ban over £800,000 fine". The Telegraph. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Champiopns Tour, Schedule, 2023 Season, The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex". The PGA Tour. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Senior Open Championship: results". PGA Tour. 24 July 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  4. ^ Senior British Open now a Major
  5. ^ Senior British Open elevated to Senior Major
  6. ^ "PGA Tour Champions recognizes Gary Player's Senior British Open wins as major titles". thegolfnewsnet.com. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Inglis, Martin (3 February 2016). "Tom Watson plays key role as Senior Open heads to St Andrews". bunkered.
  9. ^ a b Dempster, Martin (2 July 2020). "Senior Open cancelled for first time in its history". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  10. ^ "The Senior Open Championship 2017 – Entry Form" (PDF). European Senior Tour. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
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