Inside the 42nd U.S. Senior Open Championship

Saucon Valley Country Club (Old Course) will host the 2022 U.S. Senior Open Championship next week and will be set up at 7,028 yards and play to a par of 36-35–71.

The yardage for each round of the championship will vary due to course setup and conditions.

Saucon Valley Country Club (Old Course) Hole By Hole  

Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total

Par 5 4 4 3 4 5 4 4 3 36

Yardage 555 472 374 157 476 558 456 426 210 3,684   

Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Total

Par 4 3 5 4 4 4 4 3 4 35

Yardage 330 183 615 454 422 351 382 172 435 3,344

THE COURSE

Saucon Valley Country Club’s Old Course was designed by Herbert Strong and opened in 1922. Revisions were completed by William Gordon, Perry Maxwell and most recently Tom Marzolf from the Fazio Group in 2008. Saucon Valley’s historic 850-acre facility also features the Weyhill Course, Grace Course and a six-hole course for juniors and novice golfers. The club is a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.

COURSE RATING

Based on the course setup for the championship, the USGA Course Rating™ is 74.9 and the Slope Rating® is 141.

WHO CAN ENTER

The championship is open to any professional or amateur golfer who is 50 years of age or older as of June 23, 2022. An amateur is eligible with a Handicap Index® not exceeding 3.4.

ENTRIES

The USGA accepted 3,001 entries for the 2022 U.S. Senior Open, the third-highest total in championship history. The record was established in 2002, when 3,101 golfers applied to play, while 3,007 entered in 2000. More than 2,700 entries have been filed in six of the last eight years.

QUALIFYING

In 2022, qualifying was conducted at 33 sites around the country between May 2-June 1. Qualifying sites were located in 25 states, including five in California, three in Florida and two in Pennsylvania and Texas, and was conducted over 18 holes.

CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD

The starting field of 156 golfers will be cut after 36 holes to the low 60 scorers and ties.

SCHEDULE OF PLAY

Eighteen holes of stroke play are scheduled each day from Thursday, June 23, through Sunday, June 26. In the case of a tie after 72 holes, a two-hole aggregate playoff will commence immediately after the conclusion of the fourth round.

EXEMPT PLAYERS

There are five U.S. Open champions among the 76 players who are currently exempt from qualifying. They include two-time champions Ernie Els (1994, 1997), Retief Goosen (2001, 2004) and Lee Janzen (1993, 1998), as well as Michael Campbell (2005) and Jim Furyk (2003). Nine U.S. Open runners-up are also entered: David Duval (2009), Els (2000), Furyk (2006, 2007, 2016), Miguel Angel Jimenez (2000), Tom Lehman (1996), Davis Love III (1996), Rocco Mediate (2008), Colin Montgomerie (1994, 1997, 2006) and Jeff Sluman (1992).

Major champions are also among the group of exempt players and include Masters winners – Bernhard Langer, Mark O’Meara, Vijay Singh and Mike Weir; PGA champions – Padraig Harrington, Love III, Singh, Sluman, David Toms and Y.E. Yang; and winners of The Open Championship – Mark Calcavecchia, Darren Clarke, Duval, Els, Harrington, Lehman and O’Meara.

2021 CHAMPION

After making bogey-double bogey on his second and third holes in the final round of the 41st U.S. Senior Open to lose most of a four-stroke lead, Jim Furyk got back to what has made him one of the best players of his era and the 2003 U.S. Open champion: consistency.

Furyk, 51, settled down and played 2-under-par golf over the next 11 holes at Omaha (Neb.) Country Club to restore his advantage and went on to capture the championship in his debut. The Jacksonville, Fla., resident who grew up in West Chester, Pa., completed a final round of 1-over-par 71 for a total of 7-under 273, good for a three-stroke victory over two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen and 2003 Masters winner Mike Weir. The victory made Furyk the eighth man to win both the U.S. Open and U.S. Senior Open titles, joining a list that includes Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Hale Irwin and Lee Trevino.

Furyk, who shot 64-66 in the middle rounds of the championship to build his lead, nearly holed a long putt from 75 feet on the final hole before tapping in for par, giving him his third victory as an over-50 player and first senior major.

PURSE

The 2021 purse was $4 million; the winner earned $720,000.

TELEVISION SCHEDULE

The 2022 U.S. Senior Open will receive at least 20 hours of broadcast coverage on NBCUniversal. Rolex will be the exclusive presenting partner of coverage for eight USGA championships, including the U.S. Senior Open. Rolex’s commitment will allow uninterrupted coverage of these championships, providing fans hours of continuous live action.

Date/Day Time (Local/EDT) Network Coverage

June 23/Thursday 2-7 p.m. *Peacock First Round

  10:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (tape) Golf Channel First Round

June 24/Friday 2-7 p.m. *Peacock Second Round

  10:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (tape) Golf Channel Second Round

June 25/Saturday 2-3 p.m. *Peacock Third Round

  3-7 p.m. Golf Channel Third Round

June 26/Sunday 2-3 p.m. *Peacock Fourth Round

  3-7 p.m. Golf Channel Fourth Round

*Peacock subscription not needed for U.S. Senior Open

TICKETS

Tickets for the 2022 U.S. Senior Open Championship are available for purchase at ussenioropen.com. Various packages are available. Championship round individual gallery tickets are $50 (Thursday-Sunday), while practice-round tickets are $25 (Tuesday-Wednesday).

HISTORY

This is the 42nd U.S. Senior Open Championship. The first U.S. Senior Open, played in 1980, was conducted for golfers 55 and older. The next year, the USGA lowered the minimum age to 50.

Miller Barber captured the first of his three U.S. Senior Open titles in 1982 – he also won in 1984 and 1985. The U.S. Senior Open has five two-time winners: Gary Player (1987, 1988), Jack Nicklaus (1991, 1993), Hale Irwin (1998, 2000), Allen Doyle (2005, 2006) and Kenny Perry (2013, 2017). Doyle became the championship’s oldest winner in 2006 at the age of 57 years, 11 months, 14 days.

The youngest champion is Dale Douglass, who won in 1986 at the age of 50 years, 3 months, 24 days.

2022 U.S. SENIOR OPEN NOTES

►Saucon Valley Country Club will be hosting its third U.S. Senior Open Championship (1992, 2000, 2022)

►The 42nd U.S. Senior Open is the 90th USGA championship to be conducted in Pennsylvania

►Jim Furyk will attempt to become the fourth player to win consecutive U.S. Senior Opens

►Saucon Valley is the first club to host the U.S. Senior Open Championship three times

USGA AND SAUCON VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB

This is the eighth USGA championship and third U.S. Senior Open to be conducted at Saucon Valley Country Club. Larry Laoretti (1992) and Hale Irwin (2000) won the previous Senior Opens and Saucon Valley will be the first course to host the championship three times. The most recent championship was the 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur, won by Scott Harvey. Here are the previous USGA championships held at Saucon Valley C.C.:

1951 U.S. Amateur: Billy Maxwell def. Joseph F. Gagliardi, 4 and 3

1983 U.S. Junior Amateur: Tim Straub def. John Mahon, 1 up

1987 U.S. Senior Amateur: John Richardson def. James Kite, Jr., 5 and 4

1992 U.S. Senior Open: Larry Laoretti by four strokes over Jim Colbert (275-279)

2000 U.S. Senior Open: Hale Irwin by three strokes over Bruce Fleisher (267-270)

2009 U.S. Women’s Open: Eun-Hee Ji by one stroke over Candie Kung (284-285)

2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur: Scott Harvey def. Brad Nurski, 6 and 5

USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN PENNSYLVANIA (90)

The U.S. Senior Open will be the 90th USGA championship contested in the state of Pennsylvania. Merion Golf Club hosted the 42nd Curtis Cup Match earlier in June. Pennsylvania is the all-time leader in USGA championship hosted, while California is second with 85.

U.S. Open (17): 1907, 1910, 1927, 1934, 1935, 1939, 1950, 1953, 1962, 1971, 1973, 1981, 1983, 1994, 2007, 2013, 2016

U.S. Women’s Open (9): 1952, 1959, 1968, 1971, 1976, 1996, 2009, 2010, 2015

U.S. Senior Open (4): 1989, 1992, 2000, 2022

U.S. Amateur (14): 1916, 1919, 1924, 1925, 1930, 1938, 1951, 1966, 1969, 1977, 1989, 2003, 2005, 2021

U.S. Women’s Amateur (14): 1899, 1904, 1909, 1919, 1923, 1934, 1949, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1985, 2003, 2004, 2016

U.S. Girls’ Junior (5): 1949, 1954, 1966, 1985, 1998

U.S. Junior Amateur (3): 1983, 1997, 1999

U.S. Senior Amateur (3): 1965, 1971, 1987

U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur (6): 1962, 1972, 1983, 1987, 2001, 2012

U.S. Mid-Amateur (2): 2014, 2016

U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur (2): 1990, 2016

U.S. Amateur Public Links (5): 1928, 1934, 1957, 1965, 1969

U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links (2): 1980, 1997

Curtis Cup Match (3): 1954, 2002, 2022

Walker Cup Match (1): 2009

U.S. SENIOR OPENS IN MID-ATLANTIC REGION

1980: Winged Foot Golf Club (East Course), Mamaroneck, N.Y. (Roberto De Vicenzo)

1984: Oak Hill Country Club (East Course), Rochester, N.Y. (Miller Barber)

1989: Laurel Valley Country Club, Ligonier, Pa. (Orville Moody)

1990: The Ridgewood Country Club (Center and West nines), Paramus, N.J. (Lee Trevino)

1992: Saucon Valley Country Club (Old Course), Bethlehem, Pa. (Larry Laoretti)

2000: Saucon Valley Country Club (Old Course), Bethlehem, Pa. (Hale Irwin)

OTHER CHAMPIONSHIPS AT SAUCON VALLEY

Saucon Valley Country Club hosted the Pennsylvania State Amateur in 2008, won by Mike Van Sickle, and in 2013, won by Chris Ault. Brian Kelly won the Pennsylvania Open at the club in 1987.

LONGEST U.S. SENIOR OPEN COURSES

7,269 yards, Crooked Stick G.C., second round, Carmel, Ind., 2009

7,249 yards, The Broadmoor (East Course), first round, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2018

7,248 yards, The Broadmoor (East Course), fourth round, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2008

7,241 yards, Crooked Stick G.C., first round, Carmel, Ind., 2009

7,223 yards, Crooked Stick G.C., fourth round, Carmel, Ind., 2009

7,217 yards, The Broadmoor (East Course), first round, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2008

7,208 yards, Crooked Stick G.C., third round, Carmel, Ind., 2009

7,192 yards, The Broadmoor (East Course), third round, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2008

7,185 yards, The Broadmoor (East Course), fourth round, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2018

7,164 yards, Inverness Club, fourth round, Toledo, Ohio, 2011

7,156 yards, The Broadmoor (East Course), third round, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2018

LONGEST PAR 3s in U.S. SENIOR OPEN HISTORY

250 yards, 5th, first round, Warren Course at Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind., 2019

244 yards, 12th, first round, The Broadmoor (East Course), Colorado Springs, Colo., 2008

240 yards, 5th, first round, Warren Course at Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind., 2019

240 yards, 3rd, second round, Omaha (Neb.) C.C., 2021

239 yards, 12th, third round, The Broadmoor (East Course), Colorado Springs, Colo., 2008

238 yards, 12th, first round, The Broadmoor (East Course), Colorado Springs, Colo., 2018

237 yards, 14th, third round, Scioto C.C., Columbus, Ohio, 2016

235 yards, 15th, second round, Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio, 2011

235 yards, 3rd, third round, Omaha (Neb.) C.C., 2021

234 yards, 17th, fourth round, Del Paso C.C., Sacramento, Calif., 2015

LONGEST PAR 4s in U.S. SENIOR OPEN HISTORY

559 yards, 17th, first round, The Broadmoor (East Course), Colorado Springs, Colo., 2018

545 yards, 17th, second round, The Broadmoor (East Course), Colorado Springs, Colo., 2008

545 yards, 17th, third round, The Broadmoor (East Course), Colorado Springs, Colo., 2008

538 yards, 17th, second round, The Broadmoor (East Course), Colorado Springs, Colo., 2018

532 yards, 17th, fourth round, The Broadmoor (East Course), Colorado Springs, Colo., 2018

517 yards, 17th, third round, The Broadmoor (East Course), Colorado Springs, Colo., 2018

510 yards, 17th, first round, The Broadmoor (East Course), Colorado Springs, Colo., 2008

503 yards, 10th, first round, The Broadmoor (East Course), Colorado Springs, Colo., 2018

502 yards, 10th, fourth round, Omaha (Neb.) C.C., 2013

502 yards, 10th, second round, The Broadmoor (East Course), Colorado Springs, Colo., 2018

LONGEST PAR 5s IN U.S. SENIOR OPEN HISTORY

627 yards, 15th, third round, Del Paso C.C., Sacramento, Calif., 2015

608 yards, 7th, Brooklawn Country Club, Fairfield, Conn., 1987

608 yards, 6th, Canterbury Golf Club, Beachwood, Ohio, 1996

608 yards, 3rd, first round, The Broadmoor (East Course), Colorado Springs, Colo., 2018

608 yards, 3rd, fourth round, The Broadmoor (East Course), Colorado Springs, Colo., 2018

604 yards, 15th, first round, Del Paso Country Club, Sacramento, Calif., 2015

601 yards, 3rd, first round, The Broadmoor (East Course), Colorado Springs, Colo., 2008

601 yards, 3rd, fourth round, The Broadmoor (East Course), Colorado Springs, Colo., 2008

600 yards, 5th, second round, Crooked Stick Golf Club, Carmel, Ind., 2009

600 yards, 5th, fourth round, Crooked Stick Golf Club, Carmel, Ind., 2009

600 yards, 14th, first round, Oak Tree National, Edmond, Okla., 2014

WINNERS OF U.S. OPEN AND U.S. SENIOR OPEN

Billy Casper (1959, 1966 U.S. Open; 1983 U.S. Senior Open)

Jim Furyk (2003 U.S. Open; 2021 U.S. Senior Open)

Hale Irwin (1974, 1979, 1990 U.S. Open; 1998, 2000 U.S. Senior Open)

Orville Moody (1969 U.S. Open; 1989 U.S. Senior Open)

Jack Nicklaus (1962, 1967, 1972, 1980 U.S. Open; 1991, 1993 U.S. Senior Open)

Arnold Palmer (1960 U.S. Open; 1981 U.S. Senior Open)

Gary Player (1965 U.S. Open; 1987, 1988 U.S. Senior Open)

Lee Trevino (1968, 1971 U.S. Open: 1990 U.S. Senior Open)

THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED AT THE SENIOR OPEN

Colin Montgomerie – the last international winner (2014)

Allen Doyle – the last to defend title successfully (2006)

Jim Furyk – the last to win on his first attempt (2021)

David Toms – the last to win on his second attempt (2018)

Olin Browne – the last start-to-finish winner with no ties (2011)

Hale Irwin – the last winner to birdie the 72nd hole to win by one stroke (1998)

Gary Player – the last winner without a round in the 60s (1988)

Steve Stricker – the last winner with all rounds in the 60s (2019)

Gene Sauers – the last defending champion to miss the cut (2017)

Don Pooley – the last winner to come through final qualifying (2002)

FUTURE SITES

June 29-July 2, 2023: SentryWorld, Stevens Point, Wis.

June 27-30, 2024: Newport (R.I.) Country Club

June 26-29, 2025: The Broadmoor (East Course), Colorado Springs, Colo.

2030 (Dates TBD): Spyglass Hill Golf Course, Pebble Beach, Calif.

WHAT THE CHAMPION RECEIVES

Among the benefits received by the 2022 U.S. Senior Open champion are:

►A gold medal and custody of the Francis D. Ouimet Memorial Trophy for the ensuing year

►An exemption from final qualifying for the 2023 U.S. Open Championship

►An exemption from qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Senior Open Championships

CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY

The U.S. Senior Open, first contested in 1980, is in its fifth decade as a USGA championship. Yet the U.S. Senior Open Trophy is actually the oldest among the USGA’s championship trophies.

On Sept. 24, 1894, the Tuxedo Club of Tuxedo Park, N.Y., invited three other clubs to compete in the first American interclub tournament. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Saint Andrew’s Golf Club and The Country Club agreed to the challenge. While there is still some dispute as to which team won, The Country Club team, consisting of H.C. Leeds, Laurence Curtis, Robert Bacon and W.B. Thomas, returned home with the trophy. The sterling silver, hourglass-shaped cup remained in the club’s possession until the mid-1950s, when it was given to the USGA for exhibition.

In June 1980, with the USGA preparing for the first U.S. Senior Open, The Country Club suggested that the trophy be used as the formal award for the championship. The cup was presented “by The Country Club and Golfers of Massachusetts,” and formally dedicated as the Francis D. Ouimet Memorial Trophy. Roberto De Vicenzo received it at Winged Foot Golf Club as the inaugural champion. A replica of the trophy, complete with engraving of the 1894 Brookline team, was produced by the USGA in 1997 and awarded to Graham Marsh at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club. The original was then given its second and final retirement.

The original U.S. Senior Open Trophy is on display at the USGA Museum in Liberty Corner, N.J.