Senior British Open Championship

The Senior Open Championship
Tournament information
Location	United Kingdom
Established	1987
Course(s)	Walton Heath Golf Club (2011)
Par	72 (2011)
Length	7,394 (2011)
Tour(s)	Champions Tour; European Seniors Tour
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	US$2,000,000
Month played	July
Tournament record score
Aggregate	263 Tom Watson (2003)
To par	−17 Tom Watson (2003)
Current champion
	Russ Cochran

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The Senior Open Championship, or simply The Senior Open (and originally known as the Senior British Open) is a professional golf tournament for men 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 the Champions Tour and the European Seniors Tour. In 2010, the prize fund, which is fixed in United States dollars, was $2 million.

The tournament was first held in 1987. It became part of the European Seniors Tour schedule in 1992. In 2003 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. Winners gain entry into the following season's Open Championship.

[edit] The field

The standard field size is 144 players. 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 (see below) enter, the field will be 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. If an exempt player withdraws before the start of the tournament, his place will be filled by an alternate who participated in the qualifying round.^[1]

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.^[1]

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 Champions Tour money list
Top 50 from the Champions Tour 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 Champions Tour 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 the Champions Tour (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 Champions Tour 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.

[edit] Winners

Year	Winner	Country	Venue	Score
The Senior Open Championship
2011	Russ Cochran	United States	Walton Heath Golf Club, England	276 (−12)
The Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard
2010	Bernhard Langer	Germany	Carnoustie Golf Links, Scotland	279 (−5)
2009	Loren Roberts	United States	Sunningdale Golf Club, England	268 (−12)
2008	Bruce Vaughan	United States	Royal Troon Golf Club, Scotland	278 (−6)
The Senior Open Championship presented by Aberdeen Asset Management
2007	Tom Watson	United States	Muirfield Golf Links, Scotland	284 (E)
The Senior British Open Championship presented by Aberdeen Asset Management
2006	Loren Roberts	United States	Ailsa Course at Turnberry, Scotland	274 (−6)
2005	Tom Watson	United States	Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, Scotland	280 (−4)
The Senior British Open Championship presented by MasterCard
2004	Pete Oakley	United States	Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland	284 (−4)
Senior British Open presented by Mastercard
2003	Tom Watson	United States	Ailsa Course at Turnberry, Scotland	263 (−17)
2002	Noboru Sugai	Japan	Royal County Down, Northern Ireland	281 (−3)
2001	Ian Stanley	Australia	Royal County Down, Northern Ireland	278 (−6)
2000	Christy O'Connor Jnr	Ireland	Royal County Down, Northern Ireland	275 (−9)
Senior British Open
1999	Christy O'Connor Jnr	Ireland	Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland	282 (−6)
1998	Brian Huggett	Wales	Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland	283 (−5)
1997	Gary Player	South Africa	Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland	278 (−10)
1996	Brian Barnes	Scotland	Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland	277 (−11)
1995	Brian Barnes	Scotland	Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland	281 (−7)
1994	Tom Wargo	United States	Royal Lytham & St. Annes, England	280 (−8)
1993	Bob Charles	New Zealand	Royal Lytham & St. Annes, England	291 (+7)
1992	John Fourie	South Africa	Royal Lytham & St. Annes, England	282 (−2)
1991	Bobby Verwey	South Africa	Royal Lytham & St. Annes, England	285 (−1)
1990	Gary Player	South Africa	Ailsa Course at Turnberry, Scotland	280 (E)
1989	Bob Charles	New Zealand	Ailsa Course at Turnberry, Scotland	269 (−11)
1988	Gary Player	South Africa	Ailsa Course at Turnberry, Scotland	272 (−8)
1987	Neil Coles	England	Ailsa Course at Turnberry, Scotland	279 (−1)