U.S. Senior Open

U.S. Senior Open

Tournament information
Established	1980
Organized by	USGA
Tour(s)	PGA Tour Champions European Senior Tour
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	US$4,000,000
Month played	June/July
Tournament record score
Aggregate	261 Steve Stricker (2019)
To par	−20 Fred Funk (2009)
Current champion
Richard Bland

The U.S. Senior Open is one of the five major championships in senior golf, introduced 44 years ago in 1980.^[1] 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 Senior Tour. The lower age limit was 55 in 1980, but it was lowered to 50 for the second edition in 1981,^[2] which is the standard limit for men's senior professional golf tournaments. By definition, the event is open to amateurs, but has been dominated by professionals; through 2022, all editions have been won by pros. Like other USGA championships, it has been played on many courses throughout the United States.

Bernhard Langer became the oldest U.S. Senior Open Champion in 2023, winning at the age of 65 years 10 months.^[3]

The total purse was the highest of any senior tour event until the Posco E&C Songdo Championship in South Korea, a Champions Tour event in 2010 and 2011 with a $3 million purse, but had a lower winner's share ($450,000). The U.S. Senior Open is again the highest purse on the PGA Tour Champions; in 2016 it was $3.75 million, and champion Gene Sauers earned $675,000. The purse in 2017 is anticipated to be $4 million, yielding a winner's share of $720,000.

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.

The playoff format was modified for 2018, reduced from three to two aggregate holes, followed by sudden death.^[4] The three-hole aggregate playoff was used in 2002 and 2014; the final 18-hole playoff at the U.S. Senior Open was in 1991, won by Jack Nicklaus.^[5]

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, except for the one-time exemption for former champions of the U.S. Amateur or The Amateur Championship.^[6]

• 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 Open Championship in the last five 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 PGA Tour Champions money list, top 20 from current list
• Top 50 leaders from the PGA Tour Champions career money list
• Winners of PGA Tour Champions events in the previous three years
• Top six from previous year's European Senior 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.
  • Winners of amateur championships who have since turned professional are able to use this exemption.

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

Year	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Purse ($)	Winner's share ($)	Venue	Location
2024	Richard Bland	267	−13	Playoff	Hiroyuki Fujita	4,000,000	720,000	Newport	Newport, Rhode Island
2023	Bernhard Langer (2)	277	−7	2 strokes	Steve Stricker	4,000,000	720,000	SentryWorld	Stevens Point, Wisconsin
2022	Pádraig Harrington	274	−10	1 stroke	Steve Stricker	4,000,000	720,000	Saucon Valley (Old Course)	Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
2021	Jim Furyk	273	−7	3 strokes	Retief Goosen Mike Weir	4,000,000	720,000	Omaha	Omaha, Nebraska
2020	Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[7][8]
2019	Steve Stricker	261	−19	6 strokes	Jerry Kelly David Toms	4,000,000	720,000	Warren Golf Course U of Notre Dame	South Bend, Indiana
2018	David Toms	277	−3	1 stroke	Miguel Ángel Jiménez Jerry Kelly Tim Petrovic	4,000,000	720,000	Broadmoor	Colorado Springs, Colorado
2017	Kenny Perry (2)	264	−16	2 strokes	Kirk Triplett	4,000,000	720,000	Salem	Peabody, Massachusetts
2016	Gene Sauers	277	−3	1 stroke	Miguel Ángel Jiménez Billy Mayfair	3,750,000	675,000	Scioto	Upper Arlington, Ohio
2015	Jeff Maggert	270	−10	2 strokes	Colin Montgomerie	3,750,000	675,000	Del Paso	Sacramento, California
2014	Colin Montgomerie	279	−5	Playoff	Gene Sauers	3,500,000	630,000	Oak Tree National	Edmond, Oklahoma
2013	Kenny Perry	267	−13	5 strokes	Fred Funk	2,750,000	500,000	Omaha	Omaha, Nebraska
2012	Roger Chapman	270	−10	2 strokes	Fred Funk Bernhard Langer Tom Lehman Corey Pavin	2,750,000	500,000	Indianwood	Lake Orion, Michigan
2011	Olin Browne	269	−15	3 strokes	Mark O'Meara	2,750,000	500,000	Inverness Club	Toledo, Ohio
2010	Bernhard Langer	272	−8	3 strokes	Fred Couples	2,600,000	470,000	Sahalee	Sammamish, Washington
2009	Fred Funk	268	−20	6 strokes	Joey Sindelar	2,600,000	470,000	Crooked Stick	Carmel, Indiana
2008	Eduardo Romero	274	−6	4 strokes	Fred Funk	2,600,000	470,000	Broadmoor	Colorado Springs, Colorado
2007	Brad Bryant	282	−6	3 strokes	Ben Crenshaw	2,600,000	470,000	Whistling Straits (Straits Course)	Haven, Wisconsin
2006	Allen Doyle (2)	272	−8	2 strokes	Tom Watson	2,600,000	470,000	Prairie Dunes	Hutchinson, Kansas
2005	Allen Doyle	274	−10	1 stroke	Loren Roberts D. A. Weibring	2,600,000	470,000	NCR (South Course)	Kettering, Ohio
2004	Peter Jacobsen	272	−12	1 stroke	Hale Irwin	2,600,000	470,000	Bellerive	St. Louis, Missouri
2003	Bruce Lietzke	277	−7	2 strokes	Tom Watson	2,600,000	470,000	Inverness Club	Toledo, Ohio
2002	Don Pooley	274	−10	Playoff	Tom Watson	2,500,000	450,000	Caves Valley	Owings Mills, Maryland
2001	Bruce Fleisher	280	E	1 stroke	Isao Aoki Gil Morgan	2,400,000	430,000	Salem	Peabody, Massachusetts
2000	Hale Irwin (2)	267	−17	3 strokes	Bruce Fleisher	2,250,000	400,000	Saucon Valley (Old Course)	Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
1999	Dave Eichelberger	281	−7	3 strokes	Ed Dougherty	1,750,000	315,000	Des Moines	West Des Moines, Iowa
1998	Hale Irwin	285	+1	1 stroke	Vicente Fernández	1,500,000	267,500	Riviera	Pacific Palisades, California
1997	Graham Marsh	280	E	1 stroke	John Bland	1,300,000	232,500	Olympia Fields (North Course)	Olympia Fields, Illinois
1996	Dave Stockton	277	−11	2 strokes	Hale Irwin	1,200,000	212,500	Canterbury	Beachwood, Ohio
1995	Tom Weiskopf	275	−13	4 strokes	Jack Nicklaus	1,000,000	175,000	Congressional (Blue Course)	Bethesda, Maryland
1994	Simon Hobday	274	−10	1 stroke	Jim Albus Graham Marsh	800,000	145,000	Pinehurst Resort (No. 2 Course)	Pinehurst, North Carolina
1993	Jack Nicklaus (2)	278	−6	1 stroke	Tom Weiskopf	700,000	135,330	Cherry Hills	Cherry Hills Village, Colorado
1992	Larry Laoretti	275	−9	4 strokes	Jim Colbert	700,000	130,000	Saucon Valley (Old Course)	Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
1991	Jack Nicklaus	282	+2	Playoff	Chi-Chi Rodríguez	600,000	110,000	Oakland Hills (South Course)	Birmingham, Michigan
1990	Lee Trevino	275	−13	2 strokes	Jack Nicklaus	500,000	90,000	Ridgewood	Paramus, New Jersey
1989	Orville Moody	279	−9	2 strokes	Frank Beard	450,000	80,000	Laurel Valley	Ligonier, Pennsylvania
1988	Gary Player (2)	288	E	Playoff	Bob Charles	400,000	65,000	Medinah (Course No. 3)	Medinah, Illinois
1987	Gary Player	270	−14	6 strokes	Doug Sanders	300,000	47,000	Brooklawn	Fairfield, Connecticut
1986	Dale Douglass	279	−5	1 stroke	Gary Player	275,000	42,500	Scioto	Columbus, Ohio
1985	Miller Barber (3)	285	−3	4 strokes	Roberto De Vicenzo	225,000	40,199	Edgewood Tahoe	Stateline, Nevada
1984	Miller Barber (2)	286	+6	2 strokes	Arnold Palmer	200,000	36,448	Oak Hill (East Course)	Pittsford, New York
1983	Billy Casper	288	+4	Playoff	Rod Funseth	175,000	30,566	Hazeltine National	Chaska, Minnesota
1982	Miller Barber	282	−2	4 strokes	Gene Littler Dan Sikes	150,000	28,648	Portland	Portland, Oregon
1981	Arnold Palmer	289	+9	Playoff	Billy Casper Bob Stone	149,000	26,000	Oakland Hills (South Course)	Birmingham, Michigan
1980	Roberto De Vicenzo	285	+1	4 strokes	William C. Campbell (a)	100,000	20,000	Winged Foot East Course	Mamaroneck, New York

Seven men have multiple victories in the U.S. Senior Open:

3 wins

• Miller Barber (1982, 1984, 1985)

2 wins

• Gary Player (1987, 1988)
• Jack Nicklaus (1991, 1993)
• Hale Irwin (1998, 2000)
• Allen Doyle (2005, 2006)
• Kenny Perry (2013, 2017)
• Bernhard Langer (2010, 2023)

Successful defenders of the title were Barber (1985), Player (1988), and Doyle (2006).

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.

Source:^[9]

• U.S. Senior Women's Open
• Golf in the United States

• U.S. Senior Open at USGA site (most of the information is in the archive section)
• Coverage on the PGA Tour Champions's official site