Senior Open Championship

History

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. Winners before 2003 were not retroactively designated as Champions Tour major winners until late 2018. 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. In 2020, the championship was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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. Currently, the following players are exempt from qualifying for The Senior Open, provided they are 50 years old as of the opening day of the tournament. Amateur categories require that the player is still an amateur on the opening day of the tournament.

• Any past winner of The Senior Open Championship
• Past winners of any of the major championships or The Players Championship
• Winners of the European Tour Order of Merit (now Race to Dubai) in first five years of age eligibility
• Winners of the BMW PGA Championship in first five years of age eligibility
• Top 30 from the previous year's European Senior Tour Order of Merit
• Top 50 from the European Senior Tour all-time money list as of the start of the tournament
• Top 30 from the previous year's PGA Tour Champions money list
• Top 50 from the PGA Tour Champions all-time money list as of the start of the tournament
• Top 15 finishers, plus ties, from the previous year's Senior Open Championship
• Winners of official events on the European Senior Tour and PGA Tour Champions in the previous two years (starting with the first tournaments after The Senior Open Championship of two years prior)
• Winners of official events on the European Tour, PGA Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia, Japan Golf Tour, and Sunshine Tour in first year of age eligibility
• Past members of Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup teams in first year of age eligibility
• Winners of the last five editions of all other events recognised as majors by PGA Tour Champions (Senior Players Championship, The Tradition, U.S. Senior Open, Senior PGA Championship)
• Current holder of the Japan PGA Senior Championship
• Current Japan Senior Open champion
• Top four players, not already exempt, in the top 40 of the current year's European Senior Tour Order of Merit as of the start of the tournament
• Top eight players, not already exempt, in the top 75 of the current year's PGA Tour Champions money list as of the start of the tournament
• Current Seniors Open Amateur Champion
• Current U.S. Senior Amateur champion
• Leading amateur in the previous year's Senior Open Championship who completed 72 holes
• The Championship Committee may award special exemptions. --

Winners

Multiple winners

Seven players have multiple victories in the Senior Open Championship:

• 4 wins: Bernhard Langer (2010, 2014, 2017, 2019)
• 3 wins: Gary Player (1988, 1990, 1997), Tom Watson (2003, 2005, 2007)
• 2 wins: Bob Charles (1989, 1993), Brian Barnes (1995, 1996), Christy O'Connor Jnr (1999, 2000), Loren Roberts (2006, 2009)

Winners of both The Open and The Senior Open

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

Host courses

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

• 7 Turnberry Golf Club (Ailsa Course)
• 6 Royal Portrush Golf Club (Dunluce Course)
• 5 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club
• 4 Sunningdale Golf Club (Old Course)
• 3 Royal County Down Golf Club (Championship Course), Royal Porthcawl Golf Club, Carnoustie Golf Links (Championship Course)
• 2 Royal Troon Golf Club (Old Course)
• 1 Gleneagles (Kings Course), St Andrews Links (Old Course), Muirfield, Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Walton Heath Golf Club, Royal Aberdeen Golf Club (Balgownie Course)

Future venues

Notes

References

References

1. (15 June 2023). "Lee Westwood vows to never rejoin DP World Tour amid Senior Open ban over £800,000 fine". The Telegraph.
2. "Champiopns Tour, Schedule, 2023 Season, The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex". The PGA Tour.
3. (24 July 2011). "Senior Open Championship: results". PGA Tour.
4. [http://www.iol.co.za/sport/golf/senior-british-open-now-a-major-1.521282 Senior British Open now a Major]
5. [http://www.golftoday.co.uk/news/yeartodate/news02/senioropen2.html Senior British Open elevated to Senior Major]
6. "PGA Tour Champions recognizes Gary Player's Senior British Open wins as major titles".
7. Herrington, Ryan. (21 December 2018). "How well do you remember what happened in golf in 2018? Take our quiz".
8. Inglis, Martin. (3 February 2016). "Tom Watson plays key role as Senior Open heads to St Andrews".
9. "The Senior Open Championship 2017 – Entry Form". European Senior Tour.
10. Dempster, Martin. (2 July 2020). "Senior Open cancelled for first time in its history".