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 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 Senior Open Championship
Tournament information
Location United Kingdom
Established1987, 33 years ago
Course(s)Sunningdale Golf Club, Sunningdale, England (2020)
Par70 (2020)
Length6,627 yards (6,060 m) (2020)
Tour(s)European Seniors Tour
Champions Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fund£1.5 million
$2 million
€1.67 million
Month playedJuly
Tournament record score
Aggregate263 Tom Watson (2003)
To par−18 Bernhard Langer (2014)
Current champion
Bernhard Langer
Sunningdale GC
Location in England
Sunningdale GC
Location in the United Kingdom

The tournament was first held 33 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]

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.[7]

Winners
YearWinnerCountryVenueScoreTo parMargin
of victory		Runner(s)-up
The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex
2020Sunningdale
2019Bernhard Langer (4) GermanyRoyal Lytham274−62 strokes Paul Broadhurst
2018Miguel Ángel Jiménez SpainSt Andrews276−121 stroke Bernhard Langer
2017Bernhard Langer (3) GermanyRoyal Porthcawl280−43 strokes Corey Pavin
2016Paul Broadhurst EnglandCarnoustie277−112 strokes Scott McCarron
2015Marco Dawson United StatesSunningdale264−161 stroke Bernhard Langer
2014Bernhard Langer (2) GermanyRoyal Porthcawl266−1813 strokes Colin Montgomerie
2013Mark Wiebe United StatesRoyal Birkdale271−9Playoff Bernhard Langer
The Senior Open Championship
2012Fred Couples United StatesTurnberry271−92 strokes Gary Hallberg
2011Russ Cochran United StatesWalton Heath276−122 strokes Mark Calcavecchia
The Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard
2010Bernhard Langer GermanyCarnoustie279−51 stroke Corey Pavin
2009Loren Roberts (2) United StatesSunningdale268−12Playoff Fred Funk
Mark McNulty
2008Bruce Vaughan United StatesRoyal Troon278−6Playoff John Cook
The Senior Open Championship presented by Aberdeen Asset Management
2007Tom Watson (3) United StatesMuirfield284E1 stroke Stewart Ginn
Mark O'Meara
The Senior British Open Championship presented by Aberdeen Asset Management
2006Loren Roberts United StatesTurnberry274−6Playoff Eduardo Romero
2005Tom Watson (2) United StatesRoyal Aberdeen280−4Playoff Des Smyth
The Senior British Open Championship presented by MasterCard
2004Pete Oakley United StatesRoyal Portrush284−41 stroke Tom Kite
Eduardo Romero
Senior British Open presented by MasterCard
2003Tom Watson United StatesTurnberry263−17Playoff Carl Mason
2002Noboru Sugai JapanRoyal County Down281−32 strokes John Irwin
2001Ian Stanley Australia278−6Playoff Bob Charles
2000Christy O'Connor Jnr (2) Ireland275−92 strokes John Bland
Senior British Open
1999Christy O'Connor Jnr IrelandRoyal Portrush282−63 strokes John Bland
1998Brian Huggett Wales283−5Playoff Eddie Polland
1997Gary Player (3) South Africa278−10Playoff John Bland
1996Brian Barnes (2) Scotland277−113 strokes Bob Charles
David Oakley
1995Brian Barnes Scotland281−7Playoff Bob Murphy
1994Tom Wargo United StatesRoyal Lytham280−82 strokes Bob Charles
Doug Dalziel
1993Bob Charles (2) New Zealand291+71 stroke Tommy Horton
Gary Player
1992John Fourie South Africa282−23 strokes Bob Charles
Neil Coles
Seniors' British Open
1991Bobby Verwey South AfricaRoyal Lytham285+11 stroke Bob Charles
Tommy Horton
Volvo Seniors' British Open
1990Gary Player (2) South AfricaTurnberry280E1 stroke Deane Beman
Brian Waites
1989Bob Charles New Zealand269−117 strokes Billy Casper
1988Gary Player South Africa272−81 stroke Billy Casper
Seniors' British Open
1987Neil Coles EnglandTurnberry279−11 stroke 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 players have won both The Open Championship and the Senior Open, the professional majors run by the R&A.

PlayerOpen ChampionshipSenior Open
Gary Player1959, 1968, 19741988, 1990, 1997
Bob Charles19631989, 1993
Tom Watson1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 19832003, 2005, 2007

Final round ratings

2019: 691 thousand on NBC[8]

Future venues
YearCourseTownCountyCountryDates
2020SunningdaleSunningdaleBerkshireEnglandTBD

Source:[9][10]

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. "The Senior Open Championship 2017 – Entry Form" (PDF). European Senior Tour. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  8. "Senior Open Championship ratings". ShowBuzzDaily. Mitch Metcalf. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  9. "Sunningdale Golf Club to host 2020 Senior Open presented by Rolex". European Tour. 19 March 2019.
  10. https://www.europeantour.com/staysure-tour/news/articles/detail/the-senior-open-presented-by-rolex-postponed/

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