Senior Open Championship

The Senior Open Championship
Tournament information
Location  United Kingdom
Varies
Established 1987, 31 years ago
Course(s) Old Course,
St Andrews, Scotland
(2018)
Par 72 (2018)
Length 7,297 yards (6,672 m) (2018)
Organized by The R&A
Tour(s) European Senior Tour
PGA Tour Champions
Format Stroke play
Prize fund ₤1.5 million
$1.91 million
€1.67 million
Month played July
Tournament record score
Aggregate 263 Tom Watson (2003)
To par −18 Bernhard Langer (2014)
Current champion
Spain Miguel Ángel Jiménez
St Andrews
Location in the United Kingdom

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 million in 2011, with a winner's share of $315,600.[1] For sponsorship reasons, it is currently known as The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex.

The tournament was first held 31 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] All winners before 2003 were not retroactively designated as Champions Tour major winners.[3] 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.[4]

The 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.[5]

Winners

YearWinnerCountryVenueScoreTo parMargin
of victory		Runner(s)-up
The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex (senior major championship)
2018Miguel Ángel Jiménez SpainSt Andrews276−121 strokeGermany Bernhard Langer
2017Bernhard Langer (3) GermanyRoyal Porthcawl280−43 strokesUnited States Corey Pavin
2016Paul Broadhurst EnglandCarnoustie277−112 strokesUnited States Scott McCarron
2015Marco Dawson United StatesSunningdale264−161 strokeGermany Bernhard Langer
2014Bernhard Langer (2) GermanyRoyal Porthcawl266−1813 strokesScotland Colin Montgomerie
2013Mark Wiebe United StatesRoyal Birkdale271−9PlayoffGermany Bernhard Langer
The Senior Open Championship
2012Fred Couples United StatesTurnberry271−92 strokesUnited States Gary Hallberg
2011Russ Cochran United StatesWalton Heath276−122 strokesUnited States Mark Calcavecchia
The Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard
2010Bernhard Langer GermanyCarnoustie279−51 strokeUnited States Corey Pavin
2009Loren Roberts (2) United StatesSunningdale268−12PlayoffUnited States Fred Funk
South Africa Mark McNulty
2008Bruce Vaughan United StatesRoyal Troon278−6PlayoffUnited States John Cook
The Senior Open Championship presented by Aberdeen Asset Management
2007Tom Watson (3) United StatesMuirfield284E1 strokeAustralia Stewart Ginn
United States Mark O'Meara
The Senior British Open Championship presented by Aberdeen Asset Management
2006Loren Roberts United StatesTurnberry274−6PlayoffArgentina Eduardo Romero
2005Tom Watson (2) United StatesRoyal Aberdeen280−4PlayoffRepublic of Ireland Des Smyth
The Senior British Open Championship presented by MasterCard
2004Pete Oakley United StatesRoyal Portrush284−41 strokeUnited States Tom Kite
Argentina Eduardo Romero
Senior British Open presented by MasterCard
2003Tom Watson United StatesTurnberry263−17PlayoffEngland Carl Mason
Senior British Open presented by MasterCard (prior to senior major championship status)
2002Noboru Sugai JapanRoyal County Down281−32 strokesCanada John Irwin
2001Ian Stanley AustraliaRoyal County Down278−6PlayoffNew Zealand Bob Charles
2000Christy O'Connor Jnr (2) IrelandRoyal County Down275−92 strokesSouth Africa John Bland
Senior British Open
1999Christy O'Connor Jnr IrelandRoyal Portrush282−63 strokesSouth Africa John Bland
1998Brian Huggett WalesRoyal Portrush283−5PlayoffNorthern Ireland Eddie Polland
1997Gary Player (3) South AfricaRoyal Portrush278−10PlayoffSouth Africa John Bland
1996Brian Barnes (2) ScotlandRoyal Portrush277−113 strokesNew Zealand Bob Charles
United States David Oakley
1995Brian Barnes ScotlandRoyal Portrush281−7PlayoffUnited States Bob Murphy
1994Tom Wargo United StatesRoyal Lytham280−82 strokesNew Zealand Bob Charles
United States Doug Dalziel
1993Bob Charles (2) New ZealandRoyal Lytham291+71 strokeEngland Tommy Horton
South Africa Gary Player
1992John Fourie South AfricaRoyal Lytham282−23 strokesNew Zealand Bob Charles
England Neil Coles
Seniors' British Open (prior to European Senior Tour sanction)
1991Bobby Verwey South AfricaRoyal Lytham285+11 strokeNew Zealand Bob Charles
England Tommy Horton
Volvo Seniors' British Open
1990Gary Player (2) South AfricaTurnberry280E1 strokeUnited States Deane Beman
England Brian Waites
1989Bob Charles New ZealandTurnberry269−117 strokesUnited States Billy Casper
1988Gary Player South AfricaTurnberry272−81 strokeUnited States Billy Casper
Seniors' British Open
1987Neil Coles EnglandTurnberry279−11 strokeNew Zealand Bob Charles

Playoffs

  • 2013: 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.
  • 2009: 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.
  • 2008: Vaughan beat Cook with a birdie at the first extra hole.
  • 2006: Roberts beat Romero with a par at the first extra hole.
  • 2005: Watson beat Smyth with a par at the third extra hole.
  • 2003: Watson beat Mason with a par at the second extra hole.
  • 2001: Stanley beat Charles with a par at the first extra hole.
  • 1998: Huggett beat Polland with a par at the first extra hole.
  • 1997: Player beat Bland with a birdie at the second extra hole.
  • 1995: Barnes beat Murphy with an eagle at the third extra hole.

Multiple winners

Seven players have multiple victories in the Senior Open Championship:

Winners of both the Open and Senior Open

Three have won both The Open Championship and the Senior Open, the professional majors run by the R&A. Note, however, that the Senior Open was not a major until 2003.

PlayerOpen ChampionshipSenior Open
South Africa Gary Player1959, 1968, 19741988, 1990, 1997
New Zealand Bob Charles19631989, 1993
United States Tom Watson1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 19832003, 2005, 2007

Future venues

YearCourseTownCountyCountryDates
2019Royal LythamLytham St AnnesLancashireEngland25–28 July

Source:[6]

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. ↑ Inglis, Martin (3 February 2016). "Tom Watson plays key role as Senior Open heads to St Andrews". bunkered.
  5. ↑ "The Senior Open Championship 2017 – Entry Form" (PDF). European Senior Tour. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  6. ↑ "Royal Lytham and St Annes to stage 2019 Senior Open". R&A. 15 February 2018.

Coordinates: 56°20′41″N 2°48′35″W / 56.3446°N 2.8096°W / 56.3446; -2.8096

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