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, has 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$2,750,000 (2023)
Month playedJuly
Tournament record score
Aggregate263 Tom Watson (2003)
To par−18 Bernhard Langer (2014)
Current champion
Germany Alex Čejka (2023)

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.[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

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
YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runner(s)-upVenue
The Senior Open Championship
2023Germany Alex Čejka289+5Playoff[lower-alpha 1]Republic of Ireland Pádraig HarringtonRoyal Porthcawl
2022Northern Ireland Darren Clarke270−101 strokeRepublic of Ireland Pádraig HarringtonGleneagles
2021Wales Stephen Dodd267−131 strokeSpain Miguel Ángel JiménezSunningdale
2020Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[9]
2019Germany Bernhard Langer (4)274−62 strokesEngland Paul BroadhurstRoyal Lytham & St. Annes
2018Spain Miguel Ángel Jiménez276−121 strokeGermany Bernhard LangerSt Andrews
2017Germany Bernhard Langer (3)280−43 strokesUnited States Corey PavinRoyal Porthcawl
2016England Paul Broadhurst277−112 strokesUnited States Scott McCarronCarnoustie
2015United States Marco Dawson264−161 strokeGermany Bernhard LangerSunningdale
2014Germany Bernhard Langer (2)266−1813 strokesScotland Colin MontgomerieRoyal Porthcawl
2013United States Mark Wiebe271−9Playoff[lower-alpha 2]Germany Bernhard LangerRoyal Birkdale
2012United States Fred Couples271−92 strokesUnited States Gary HallbergTurnberry
2011United States Russ Cochran276−122 strokesUnited States Mark CalcavecchiaWalton Heath
2010Germany Bernhard Langer279−51 strokeUnited States Corey PavinCarnoustie
2009United States Loren Roberts (2)268−12Playoff[lower-alpha 3]United States Fred Funk
Republic of Ireland Mark McNulty		Sunningdale
2008United States Bruce Vaughan278−6Playoff[lower-alpha 4]United States John CookRoyal Troon
2007United States Tom Watson (3)284E1 strokeAustralia Stewart Ginn
United States Mark O'Meara		Muirfield
The Senior British Open Championship
2006United States Loren Roberts274−6Playoff[lower-alpha 5]Argentina Eduardo RomeroTurnberry
2005United States Tom Watson (2)280−4Playoff[lower-alpha 6]Republic of Ireland Des SmythRoyal Aberdeen
2004United States Pete Oakley284−41 strokeUnited States Tom Kite
Argentina Eduardo Romero		Royal Portrush
Senior British Open
2003United States Tom Watson263−17Playoff[lower-alpha 7]England Carl MasonTurnberry
2002Japan Noboru Sugai281−32 strokesCanada John IrwinRoyal County Down
2001Australia Ian Stanley278−6Playoff[lower-alpha 8]New Zealand Bob Charles
2000Republic of Ireland Christy O'Connor Jnr (2)275−92 strokesSouth Africa John Bland
1999Republic of Ireland Christy O'Connor Jnr282−63 strokesSouth Africa John BlandRoyal Portrush
1998Wales Brian Huggett283−5Playoff[lower-alpha 9]Northern Ireland Eddie Polland
1997South Africa Gary Player (3)278−10Playoff[lower-alpha 10]South Africa John Bland
1996Scotland Brian Barnes (2)277−113 strokesNew Zealand Bob Charles
United States David Oakley
1995Scotland Brian Barnes281−7Playoff[lower-alpha 11]United States Bob Murphy
1994United States Tom Wargo280−82 strokesNew Zealand Bob Charles
United States Doug Dalziel		Royal Lytham & St. Annes
1993New Zealand Bob Charles (2)291+71 strokeEngland Tommy Horton
South Africa Gary Player
1992South Africa John Fourie282−23 strokesNew Zealand Bob Charles
England Neil Coles
Seniors' British Open
1991South Africa Bobby Verwey285+11 strokeNew Zealand Bob Charles
England Tommy Horton		Royal Lytham & St. Annes
Volvo Seniors' British Open
1990South Africa Gary Player (2)280E1 strokeUnited States Deane Beman
England Brian Waites		Turnberry
1989New Zealand Bob Charles269−117 strokesUnited States Billy Casper
1988South Africa Gary Player272−81 strokeUnited States Billy Casper
Seniors' British Open
1987England Neil Coles279−11 strokeNew Zealand 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
South Africa Gary Player1959, 1968, 19741988, 1990, 1997
New Zealand Bob Charles19631989, 1993
United States Tom Watson1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 19832003, 2005, 2007
Northern Ireland 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 2023):

Future venues
YearCourseTownCountyCountryDates
2024 Carnoustie Golf Links Carnoustie Angus Scotland 25–28 July

Notes
  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
  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. 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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