Suvarna Garge (Editor)

U.S. Senior Open

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Established
  
1980, 37 years ago

Format
  
Stroke play

Prize fund
  
4 million USD

Organized by
  
USGA

Month played
  
July

U.S. Senior Open rescloudinarycomusgaimageuploadcfillgface

Location
  
Peabody, Massachusetts (2017)

Course(s)
  
Salem Country Club (2017)

Tours
  
PGA Tour Champions, European Senior Tour

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The U.S. Senior Open is one of the five major championships in senior golf, introduced 37 years ago in 1980. It is administered by the United States Golf Association (USGA) and is recognized as a major championship by both the PGA Tour Champions and the European Seniors Tour. The lower age limit was 55 in 1980, but it was lowered to 50 for the second edition in 1981, which is the standard limit for men's senior professional golf tournaments. The event is open to amateurs, but has been dominated by professionals. It has been played on many different courses throughout the United States.

Contents

Allen Doyle became the oldest U.S. Senior Open Champion in 2006, winning two weeks before his 58th birthday.

In 2011, the prize fund was $2.6 million, with $500,000 awarded to the champion, Olin Browne. The total purse was the highest of any senior tour event until the Posco E&C Songdo Championship, a new and since-discontinued Champions Tour event held in South Korea, launched in 2010 with a $3 million purse. However, the first prize in the U.S. Senior Open remains the highest on the Champions Tour (the first prize in the Korean event was $450,000). In 2012, the prize fund increased to $2.75 million, with winner Roger Chapman earning $500,000. Like other senior majors, players must walk the course unless they receive a medical exemption to use a cart. Winners gain entry into the following year's U.S. Open.

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Eligibility

The following players are exempt from qualifying for the U.S. 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 U.S. Senior Open
  • Winners of any of the major championships in the last 10 years
  • Winners of any of the U.S. Amateur in the last 10 years and runner-up in previous year
  • Winners of the Senior PGA Championship in the last 10 years
  • Winner of the Senior British Open in the last four years
  • Top 15 finishers from the previous year's U.S. Senior Open
  • Any amateur completing 72 holes in last U.S. Open
  • Low amateur in last U.S. Senior Open
  • Winner and runner-up of the U.S. Senior Amateur in the previous year
  • Members of the Walker Cup and Eisenhower Trophy teams for the last two competitions
  • Members of both Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams for the last five competitions
  • Top 30 from the previous year's Champions Tour money list, top 20 from current list
  • Top 50 leaders from the Champions Tour career money list
  • Winners of Champions Tour events in the previous three years
  • Top six from previous year's European Seniors Tour money list
  • Top two from previous year's Japan Seniors Tour money list
  • Winners of PGA Tour events in the previous five years
  • Winners of the U.S. Open in first ten years of age eligibility
  • One-time exemption for any winner of a major championship, U.S. Amateur, or British Amateur

    • Special exemptions are given occasionally, and like other USGA events, many qualify through the local and sectional ranks.

    Multiple winners

    The following men have had more than one win in the U.S. Senior Open, through the 2016 tournament:

  • 3 wins: Miller Barber
  • 2 wins: Allen Doyle, Hale Irwin, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player

    • Winners of both U.S. Open and U.S. Senior Open

    The following men have won both the U.S. Open and the U.S. Senior Open, the majors run by the USGA:

    Palmer (1954) and Nicklaus (1959, 1961) also won the U.S. Amateur, previously considered a major.

    References

    U.S. Senior Open Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA