WHO’S HERE – Among the 156 golfers in the 2023 U.S. Senior Open field, there are:
U.S. Senior Open champions (10): Brad Bryant (2007), Fred Funk (2009), Jim Furyk (2021), Padraig Harrington (2022), Bernhard Langer (2010), Jeff Maggert (2015), Colin Montgomerie (2014), Kenny Perry (2013, ’17), Steve Stricker (2019) and David Toms (2018)
U.S. Senior Open runners-up (13): Fred Funk (2008, ’12, ‘13), Retief Goosen (2021), Miguel Angel Jimenez (2016, ‘18), Jerry Kelly (2018, ‘19), Bernhard Langer (2012), Tom Lehman (2012), Colin Montgomerie (2015), Mark O’Meara (2011), Tim Petrovic (2018), David Toms (2019), Steve Stricker (2022), Kirk Triplett (2017) and Mike Weir (2021).
U.S. Open champions (5): Michael Campbell (2005), Ernie Els (1994, ’97), Jim Furyk (2003), Retief Goosen (2001, ’04) and Lee Janzen (1993, ’98)
U.S. Open runners-up (8): Ernie Els (2000), Jim Furyk (2006, ’07, ’16), Miguel Angel Jimenez (2000), Tom Lehman (1996), Davis Love III (1996), Rocco Mediate (2008), Colin Montgomerie (1994, ‘97, 2006) and Jeff Sluman (1992)
U.S. Amateur champions (3): Justin Leonard (1992), Mark O’Meara (1979) and Scott Verplank (1984)
U.S. Amateur runners-up (1): a-Trip Kuehne (1994)
U.S. Junior Amateur champions (2): Brett Quigley (1987) and Jason Widener (1988)
U.S. Mid-Amateur champions (2): a-Ken Bakst (1997) and a-Trip Kuehne (2007)
U.S. Senior Amateur champions (2): a-Doug Hanzel (2013) and a-Rusty Strawn (2022)
U.S. Senior Amateur runners-up (1): a-Doug Hanzel (2022)
USGA champions (23): a-Ken Bakst (1997 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Brad Bryant (2007 U.S. Senior Open), Michael Campbell (2005 U.S. Open), Ernie Els (1994, ’97 U.S. Open), Fred Funk (2009 U.S. Senior Open), Jim Furyk (2003 U.S. Open, 2021 U.S. Senior Open), Retief Goosen (2001, ’04 U.S. Open), Doug Hanzel (2013 U.S. Senior Amateur), Padraig Harrington (2022 U.S. Senior Open), Lee Janzen (1993, ’98 U.S. Open), a-Trip Kuehne (2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Bernhard Langer (2010 U.S. Senior Open), Justin Leonard (1992 U.S. Amateur), Jeff Maggert (2015 U.S. Senior Open), Colin Montgomerie (2014 U.S. Senior Open), Mark O’Meara (1979 U.S. Amateur), Kenny Perry (2013, ’17 U.S. Senior Open), Brett Quigley (1987 U.S. Junior Amateur), Rusty Strawn (2022 U.S. Senior Amateur), Steve Stricker (2019 U.S. Senior Open), David Toms (2018 U.S. Senior Open), Scott Verplank (1984 U.S. Amateur), Jason Widener (1988 U.S. Junior Amateur)
Walker Cup Team Members:
United States (9): Billy Andrade (1987), Notah Begay III (1995), Brian Gay (1993), Tim Herron (1993), a-Trip Kuehne (1995, 2003, ’07), Justin Leonard (1993), Davis Love III (1985), Bob May (1991), Scott Verplank (1985)
Great Britain & Ireland (5): Stephen Dodd (1989), Padraig Harrington (1991, ’93, ’95), a-Lee James (1995), Colin Montgomerie (1985, ’87) and Iain Pyman (1993)
NCAA Division I champions (2): Justin Leonard (1994) and Scott Verplank (1986)
NCAA Division II champions (1): Lee Janzen (1986)
World Amateur Team Championship competitors (11): Stephen Alker (1990, 1994, New Zealand), Robert Allenby (1990, Australia), Stephen Ames (1986, Trinidad & Tobago), Billy Andrade (1986, USA), Michael Campbell (1992, New Zealand), a-Lee James (1984, Great Britain & Ireland), a-Trip Kuehne (2006, USA), Justin Leonard (1992, USA), Colin Montgomerie (1984, 1986, Great Britain & Ireland), Vijay Singh (1980, Fiji), Scott Verplank (1984, USA)
TOTAL U.S. SENIOR OPENS WON BY 2023 CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD (11): Brad Bryant (1), Jim Furyk (1), Fred Funk (1), Padraig Harrington (1), Bernhard Langer (1), Jeff Maggert (1), Colin Montgomerie (1), Kenny Perry (2), Steve Stricker (1) and David Toms (1)
PLAYERS IN FIELD WITH MOST U.S. SENIOR OPEN APPEARANCES (2022 included) – Brad Bryant (15), Fred Funk (14), Bernhard Langer (14), Mark O’Meara (14) and Jeff Sluman (14)
ACTIVE CONSECUTIVE U.S. SENIOR OPEN APPEARANCES (2022 included) – Bernhard Langer (14), and Jeff Sluman (14)
CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD The USGA accepted 3,066 entries in 2023, the second-highest total in championship history. Lance Gilliland, a 51-year-old professional from Birmingham, Ala., submitted his entry 3 minutes, 20 seconds before the deadline of 5 p.m. EDT on May 3. Matt Schalk, a 52-year-old professional from Erie, Colo., was the first entrant on Feb. 21. The record for entries is 3,101 in 2002.
The 156-player field includes 73 fully exempt golfers, 10 of whom are U.S. Senior Open champions. Qualifying was played over 18 holes at 33 sites across the United States between May 8 and June 8. There were qualifying sites in 25 states, including five in California, three in Florida and two each in Wisconsin and Texas.
The USGA accepted entries from golfers in 48 U.S. states, including 60 from host state Wisconsin, as well as the District of Columbia and 46 foreign countries.
AMATEURS – There are 24 amateurs in the 156-player field. Twenty or more amateurs are competing for the eighth consecutive U.S. Senior Open. Rusty Strawn, last year’s U.S. Senior Amateur champion, is among this group.
Strawn became the fourth player from Georgia to win the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship with his 3-and-2 victory over Doug Hanzel in the final at The Kittansett Club, in Marion, Mass. Strawn joined Hanzel (2013), Bill Ploeger (1999) and Bob Royak (2019) as fellow Peach State residents to hoist the Frederick L. Dold Trophy. Strawn, 60, of McDonough, Ga., also won last year’s Canadian Men’s Senior Amateur, a three-stroke victory with a 72-hole score of 5-under 283. He is playing in his first U.S. Senior Open.
Doug Hanzel, 66, of Savannah, Ga., was the runner-up to Strawn in last year’s U.S. Senior Amateur. Hanzel, who has competed in 40 USGA championships, won the 2013 Senior Amateur at Wade Hampton Golf Club, in Cashiers, N.C. He has competed in five U.S. Senior Opens and was low amateur in 2012 and 2013. A retired pulmonologist, Hanzel is a Type 1 diabetic and plays golf with an insulin pump. In 2013, he became the only player to qualify for match play in the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Mid-Amateur and U.S. Senior Amateur in the same year.
Lee James, who won the 1994 R&A Amateur and played in the 1994 Open Championship and 1995 Masters Tournament, is competing in his first U.S. Senior Open. The 50-year-old from England defeated Gordon Sherry, 2 and 1, to win his Amateur title nearly 30 years ago and the victory earned him a place on the 1995 Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup Team. He won five times as a professional on the Challenge Tour and was reinstated as an amateur in 2016.
Trip Kuehne, 51, of Dallas, Texas, is a member of a championship golf family. He won the 2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur, played on three USA Walker Cup Teams and was runner-up to Tiger Woods in the 1994 U.S. Amateur. Kuehne caddied for his brother, Hank, when Hank captured the 1998 U.S. Amateur, and his sister, Kelli, claimed two U.S. Women’s Amateur titles (1995, 1996). He owns an investment firm.
Note: There were 23 amateurs in the 2022 U.S. Senior Open at Saucon Valley Country Club but none made the 36-hole cut. William C. (Bill) Campbell (1980) and Tim Jackson (2009) are the only amateurs to hold the lead at a U.S. Senior Open through 36 holes.
Year Number Made Cut Top Finisher
2023 24 ^^ ^^^^^
2022 23 0 none
2021 35 4 William Mitchell, 46th (tie)
2020 ^^ ^^ No Championship
2019 23 0 none
2018 24 3 Jeff Wilson, 31st (tie)
2017 20 1 Robby Funk, 54th (tie)
2016 23 1 Chip Lutz, 37th (tie)
2015 27 3 Michael McCoy, 26th (tie)
2014 17 2 Michael McCoy, 26th (tie)
2013 28 1 Doug Hanzel, 56th
2012 35 2 Doug Hanzel, 53rd (tie)
2011 29 1 Tim Jackson, 50th (tie)
2010 30 3 Tim Jackson, 32nd (tie)
2009 28 3 Tim Jackson, 11th (tie)
2008 29 6 Danny Green, 37th (tie)
2007 31 5 Danny Green, George Zahringer, 33rd (tie)
2006 33 1 Randy Reifers, 47th (tie)
2005 30 4 Greg Reynolds, George Zahringer, 31st (tie)
2004 25 1 Patrick Tallent, 54th (tie)
2003 33 0 none
2002 29 2 Bob Clark, 56th (tie)
2001 26 4 Paul Simson, 40th (tie)
2000 26 4 Kemp Richardson, 47th (tie)
1999 23 2 Kemp Richardson, 46th (tie)
1998 30 1 Joel Hirsch, 59th (tie)
1997 29 4 Marvin (Vinny) Giles III, 55th (tie)
1996 32 3 Marvin (Vinny) Giles III, 54th (tie)
1995 40 3 Bob Housen, 38th (tie)
1994 36 4 Johnny Stevens, 28th (tie)
1993 39 5 Marvin (Vinny) Giles III, 35th (tie)
1992 38 4 Morris Beecroft, 32nd (tie)
1991 37 5 Jim Patti, 34th (tie)
1990 39 5 Gary Cowan, 31st (tie)
1989 43 10 Jim McMurtrey, 28th (tie)
1988 47 10 Bob Housen, 25th (tie)
1987 43 9 Dennis Iden, 42nd (tie)
1986 37 7 Robert Hoff, 37th (tie)
1985 53 7 William Hyndman III, 18th (tie)
1984 54 13 Dale Morey, Fordie Pitts Jr., 13th (tie)
1983 46 9 Robert Rawlins, 15th (tie)
1982 42 4 John Harbottle, 42nd
1981 45 6 Glenn Johnson, 16th (tie)
1980 67 16 William C. Campbell, 2nd
QUALIFIERS – Billy Andrade, Tim Herron, Jonathan Kaye, Ted Tryba and Harrison Frazar, all of whom have won on the PGA Tour, are among the 83 U.S. Senior Open qualifiers.
Andrade, 59, of Bristol, R.I., won four tournaments on the PGA Tour, including the 1998 Canadian Open. He will be competing in his eighth U.S. Senior Open, with his best finish a tie for fifth in 2015 when he fired a final-round 63 at Del Paso Country Club, in Sacramento, Calif. He advanced to this year’s championship by carding a 67 at Woodmont Golf & Country Club, in Canton, Ga., on May 9. Herron, 53, of Wayzata, Minn., was the medalist with a 66 in the Hudson, Wis., qualifier at Troy Burne Golf Club on May 17. He also won four times on the PGA Tour and will play in his first U.S. Senior Open. Kaye and Tryba have each garnered two PGA Tour victories, while Frazar won once in 2011.
Peter Fowler, 64, of Australia, has accounted for 20 professional victories, including the 1983 Australian Open. Fowler, who owns seven victories on the Legends Tour (European Senior Tour), is the first alternate from the Mayetta, Kan., qualifier. He shot a 69 at Firekeeper Golf Course on May 22. Fowler will play in his 10th U.S. Senior Open and has two top-20 finishes.
Clark Dennis, 57, of Fort Worth, Texas, has won five events on the Legends Tour, including a pair of playoff victories in the Italian Open. He earned medalist with a 66 in the Carrollton, Texas, qualifier on May 10 at Indian Creek Golf Club. Dennis also advanced to this year’s U.S. Open final qualifying. In 1994, he tied for sixth at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club, one of his five U.S. Opens starts.
Note: In 2002, Don Pooley became the only player to win the U.S. Senior Open as a qualifier.
Year Number Made Cut Top Finisher
2023 83 ^^ ^^^^^
2022 81 21 Mark Hensby, 3rd
2021 82 19 Greg Kraft, 28th (tie)
2020 ^^ ^^ No Championship
2019 81 10 Doug Garwood, Fran Quinn, 14th (tie)
2018 90 18 Tim Petrovic, 2nd (tie)
2017 80 14 Glen Day, 6th
2016 80 15 Glen Day, Jeff Gallagher, 18th (tie)
2015 85 24 Gramt Waite, 3rd (tie)
2014 86 20 Marco Dawson, 5th (tie)
2013 85 15 Bart Bryant, 9th (tie)
2012 85 16 Lance Ten Broeck, 9th (tie)
2011 86 15 Steve Pate, 9th (tie)
2010 92 25 J.L. Lewis, John Morse, 12th (tie)
2009 83 16 Russ Cochran, 3rd
2008 85 17 Jeff Klein, 9th (tie)
2007 91 21 Jeff Woodward, 11th (tie)
2006 89 16 Andy Bean, 5th (tie)
2005 87 21 Perry Arthur, 14th (tie)
2004 86 16 John Harris, 11th (tie)
2003 81 15 R.W. Eaks, Dan Halldorson, 19th (tie)
2002 89 17 Don Pooley, won
2001 90 21 Ted Goin, 16th (tie)
2000 88 20 Ed Sabo, 15th (tie)
1999 96 23 Frank Conner, 8th (tie)
1998 95 18 Dan Wood, 7th (tie)
1997 95 24 Hugh Baiocchi, Leonard Thompson, 5th (tie)
1996 100 22 Frank Conner, 12th (tie)
1995 101 19 Brian Barnes, 12th (tie)
1994 104 23 Dave Eichelberger, 13th (tie)
1993 98 18 Tommy Aycock, 7th (tie)
1992 97 25 Carl Lohren, 14th (tie)
1991 107 28 Babe Hiskey, 15th (tie)
1990 105 28 Rocky Thompson, 15th (tie)
1989 95 34 Jim Dent, 3rd (tie)
1988 95 23 J.C. Goosie, 15th (tie)
1987 102 29 Don Massengale, 5th
1986 95 31 Bob Toski, 10th (tie)
1985 99 30 Walter Zembriski, 4th (tie)
1984 107 33 Al Mengert, 10th (tie)
1983 111 38 Guy Wolstenholme, 4th
1982 111 25 Ken Towns, 7th
1981 104 27 Bob Stone, 2nd (tie)
1980 125 36 Charles Sifford, 4th
QUALIFYING HISTORY
Craig Barlow, who competed in five U.S. Opens, and Bob Sowards, a teaching professional who is playing in his first U.S. Senior Open, shot the lowest rounds (65) in this year’s Senior Open qualifying. Sowards holed nine birdies on May 18 at Orchard Ridge Country Club, in Fort Wayne, Ind. In 2018, Kent Jones matched the lowest round in Senior Open qualifying history with a bogey-free 63 in the Santa Fe, N.M., qualifier. He had one eagle and seven birdies at Las Campanas (Sunset Course). Leonard Thompson fired a 63 at Florence (S.C.) Country Club in 2006 and Jimmy Blanks shot the same score at Grenelefe Golf & Tennis Resort, in Haines City, Fla., in 1996.
U.S. Senior Open Qualifying Low Scores (Since 1980)
63, Kent Jones, 2018 (The Club at Las Campanas; Santa Fe, N.M.)
63, Leonard Thompson, 2006 (Florence, S.C.; Florence C.C.)
63, Jimmy Blanks, 1996 (Haines City, Fla.; Grenelefe Golf & Tennis Resort)
64, Clark Dennis, 2017 (Dallas, Texas; Las Colinas Country Club)
64, Brad Lardon, 2016 (The Woodlands, Texas; Club at Carlton Woods / Nicklaus Course)
64, Bill Harvey, 2014 (Albuquerque, N.M.; Albuquerque C.C.)
64, a-Bert Atkinson, 2009 (Florence, S.C.; Florence C.C.)
64, Steve Haskins, 2009 (Albuquerque, N.M.; Albuquerque C.C.)
64, Wesley Burton, 2007 (Boynton Beach, Fla.; Quail Ridge C.C. / North Course)
64, Rod Souza, 2004 (Copperopolis, Calif.; Saddle Creek C.C.)
64, Robert Gaona, 2002 (Goodyear, Ariz.; Tuscany Falls C.C.)
64, Dick McClean, 2001 (Redlands, Calif.; Redlands C.C.)
64, Steve Moreland, 2000 (Charlotte, N.C.; Cedarwood C.C.)
2023 U.S. SENIOR OPEN NOTES
►SentryWorld will be hosting the second U.S. Senior Open Championship in the state of Wisconsin
►The 43rd U.S. Senior Open will be the 17th USGA championship to be conducted in Wisconsin
►Padraig Harrington will attempt to become the fourth player to win consecutive U.S. Senior Opens
USGA AND SENTRYWORLD
This is the third USGA championship and first U.S. Senior Open to be conducted at SentryWorld. Cindy Schreyer won the 1986 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links and Lei Ye claimed the 2019 U.S. Girls’ Junior. Here are the previous USGA championships held at SentryWorld:
1986 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links: Cindy Schreyer def. Vicki Goetze, 3 and 2
2019 U.S. Girls’ Junior: Lei Ye def. Jillian Bourdage, 1 up
2023 U.S. Senior Open Players Who Competed in 2007 U.S. Senior Open at Whistling Straits (2): Brad Bryant (won), Mark O’Meara (tie, 11th)
USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN WISCONSIN
This will be the 17th USGA championship played in Wisconsin and the second U.S. Senior Open contested in the state. Brad Bryant won the 2007 U.S. Senior Open at Whistling Straits. In 2025, the Badger State will host the 80th U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills, in Erin.
List of USGA Championships in Wisconsin (champion in parentheses)
1951 U.S. Amateur Public Links, Brown Deer Park G.C., Milwaukee (Dave Stanley)
1966 U.S. Amateur Public Links, Brown Deer Park G.C., Milwaukee (Lamont Kaser)
1969 Walker Cup Match, Milwaukee C.C., River Hills (USA)
1977 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links, Yahara Hills G.C., Madison (Kelly Fuiks)
1977 U.S. Amateur Public Links, Brown Deer Park G.C., Milwaukee (Jerry Vidovic)
1986 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links, SentryWorld G.C., Stevens Point (Cindy Schreyer)
1988 U.S. Senior Amateur, Milwaukee C.C., River Hills (Clarence Moore)
1998 U.S. Women’s Open, Blackwolf Run, Kohler (Se Ri Pak)
2007 U.S. Senior Open, Whistling Straits, Kohler, Wis. (Brad Bryant)
2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links, Erin Hills, Erin (Tiffany Joh)
2008 U.S. Mid-Amateur, Milwaukee C.C., River Hills (Steve Wilson)
2011 U.S. Amateur, Erin Hills, Erin (Kelly Kraft)
2012 U.S. Women’s Open, Blackwolf Run, Kohler (Na Yeon Choi)
2017 U.S. Open, Erin Hills, Erin (Brooks Koepka)
2019 U.S. Girls’ Junior, SentryWorld G.C., Stevens Point (Lei Ye)
2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur, Erin Hills, Erin (Matthew McClean)
RECENT U.S. SENIOR OPENS IN MIDWEST REGION
2016: Scioto Country Club, Columbus, Ohio (Gene Sauers)
2019: The Warren Course at Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind. (Steve Stricker)
2021: Omaha (Neb.) Country Club (Jim Furyk)
HOLE BY HOLE – SentryWorld will be set up at 7,177 yards and will play to a par of 35-36–71. The yardage for each round of the championship will vary due to course setup and conditions.
SentryWorld Hole By Hole
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total
Par 4 4 3 4 5 4 3 4 4 35
Yardage 460 506 185 372 514 487 234 391 456 3,605
Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Total
Par 5 4 3 4 5 4 3 4 4 36
Yardage 577 355 182 419 576 457 202 366 438 3,572
COURSE RATING AND SLOPE – Based on the course setup for the championship, the Course Rating™ is 76.5. The Slope Rating® is 149.
THE COURSE – SentryWorld, a public, parkland course in central Wisconsin, was developed by Sentry Insurance in 1982 as part of a sports complex that includes indoor tennis courts, banquet space and restaurants. At the heart of the 200-acre property lies the championship layout, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. In 2013, Jones oversaw a major renovation that was led by architects Bruce Charlton and Jay Blasi.
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
LONG HOLES – The Warren Course at Notre Dame featured the longest par 3 in 2019, the 250-yard fifth hole in the fourth round. The Broadmoor’s 12th hole on the East Course is the second-longest and played to 244 yards in the first round of the 2008 championship. SentryWorld’s seventh hole could be among the longest par 3s based on course setup.
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
623 yards, 12th, second round, Saucon Valley C.C. (Old Course), Bethlehem, Pa., 2022
619 yards, 12th, fourth round, Saucon Valley C.C. (Old Course), Bethlehem, Pa., 2022
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
608 yards, 12th, third round, Saucon Valley C.C. (Old Course), Bethlehem, Pa., 2022
604 yards, 15th, first round, Del Paso Country Club, Sacramento, Calif., 2015
604 yards, 12th, first round, Saucon Valley C.C. (Old Course), Bethlehem, Pa., 2022
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
THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED IN THE SENIOR OPEN
Padraig Harrington – the last international winner (2022)
Allen Doyle – the last to defend title successfully (2006)
Padraig Harrington – the last to win on his first attempt (2022)
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 U.S. SENIOR OPENS
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.
2032 and 2042 (Dates TBD): Saucon Valley Country Club (Old Course), Bethlehem, Pa.
PAST SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONS – Since the U.S. Senior Open began in 1980, three players have successfully defended their title: Miller Barber (1984-’85), Gary Player (1987-’88) and Allen Doyle (2005-’06). In 2018, David Toms became the second player to win the championship after missing the cut the previous year.
Year Champion Previous Year Result in Defense
2022 Padraig Harrington did not play ^^
2021 Jim Furyk did not play tie, 25th
2020 No Championship
2019 Steve Stricker did not play did not play (2021)
2018 David Toms missed cut tie, 2nd
2017 Kenny Perry withdrew tie, 40th
2016 Gene Sauers tie, 47th missed cut
2015 Jeff Maggert tie, 55th tie, 30th
2014 Colin Montgomerie tie, 30th 2nd
2013 Kenny Perry missed cut tie, 14th
2012 Roger Chapman did not play missed cut
2011 Olin Browne tie, 3rd tie, 36th
2010 Bernhard Langer 4th tie, 12th
2009 Fred Funk 2nd tie, 43rd
2008 Eduardo Romero tie, 22nd tie, 19th
2007 Brad Bryant tie, 14th tie, 14th
2006 Allen Doyle won missed cut
2005 Allen Doyle tie, 42nd won
2004 Peter Jacobsen did not play tie, 26th
2003 Bruce Lietzke tie, 21st tie, 19th
2002 Don Pooley did not play tie, 43rd
2001 Bruce Fleisher 2nd missed cut
2000 Hale Irwin tie, 3rd tie, 11th
1999 Dave Eichelberger 56th tie, 34th
1998 Hale Irwin tie, 5th tie, 3rd
1997 Graham Marsh 4th missed cut
1996 Dave Stockton tie, 21st missed cut
1995 Tom Weiskopf tie, 4th tie, 35th
1994 Simon Hobday tie, 10th tie, 35th
1993 Jack Nicklaus tie, 3rd tie, 7th
1992 Larry Laoretti did not play tie, 46th
1991 Jack Nicklaus 2nd tie, 3rd
1990 Lee Trevino did not play tie, 4th
1989 Orville Moody tie, 4th tie, 11th
1988 Gary Player won tie, 9th
1987 Gary Player 2nd won
1986 Dale Douglass did not play tie, 6th
1985 Miller Barber won 7th
1984 Miller Barber 3rd won
1983 Billy Caster tie, 13th tie, 14th
1982 Miller Barber 6th 3rd
1981 Arnold Palmer did not play tie, 5th
1980 Roberto De Vicenzo did not play did not play
WHAT THE CHAMPION RECEIVES
Among the benefits the 2023 U.S. Senior Open champion receives are:
►A gold medal and custody of the Francis D. Ouimet Memorial Trophy for the ensuing year
►An exemption from qualifying for the 2024 U.S. Open Championship
►An exemption from qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Senior Open Championships
SENIOR MAJOR CHAMPIONS – Steve Stricker has won three of the seven senior major championships played since the beginning of 2022 season. Jerry Kelly, a two-time U.S. Senior Open runner-up, claimed last year’s Senior Players Championship. Bernhard Langer has won 11 senior major professional titles. Langer became the all-time leader in that category with his 2017 Senior PGA Championship victory.
Year Winner (Championship) Result
2023 Steve Stricker (Senior PGA) (-18, 270, def. Harrington in playoff)
2023 Steve Stricker (Tradition) (-23, 265)
2022 Darren Clarke (Sr. Open Champ.) (-10, 270)
2022 Jerry Kelly (Senior Players) (-11, 269)
2022 Padraig Harrington (U.S. Senior Open) (-10, 274)
2022 Steven Alker (Senior PGA) (-16, 268)
2022 Steve Stricker (Tradition) (-21, 267)
2021 Stephen Dodd (Sr. Open Champ.) (-13, 267)
2021 Jim Furyk (U.S. Senior Open) (-7, 273)
2021 Steve Stricker (Senior Players) (-7, 273)
2021 Alex Cejka (Senior PGA) (-8, 272)
2021 Alex Cejka (Tradition) (-18, 270)
2020 Jerry Kelly (Senior Players) (-3, 277)
2019 Bernhard Langer (Sr. Open Champ.) (-6, 274)
2019 Retief Goosen (Senior Players) (-6, 274)
2019 Steve Stricker (U.S. Senior Open) (-19, 261)
2019 Ken Tanigawa (Senior PGA) (-3, 277)
2019 Steve Stricker (Tradition) (-18, 270)
2018 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Sr. Open Champ.) (-12, 276)
2018 Vijah Singh (Senior Players) (-20, 268)
2018 David Toms (U.S. Senior Open) (-3, 277)
2018 Paul Broadhurst (Senior PGA) (-19, 265)
2018 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Tradition) (-19, 269)
2017 Bernhard Langer (Sr. Open Champ.) (-4, 280)
2017 Scott McCarron (Senior Players) (-18, 270)
2017 Kenny Perry (U.S. Senior Open) (-16, 264)
2017 Bernhard Langer (Senior PGA) (-18, 270)
2017 Bernhard Langer (Tradition) (-20, 268)
2016 Gene Sauers (U.S. Senior Open) (-3, 277)
2016 Paul Broadhurst (Sr. Open Champ.) (-11, 277)
2016 Bernhard Langer (Senior Players) (+1, 281)
2016 Rocco Mediate (Senior PGA) (-19, 265)
2016 Bernhard Langer (Tradition) (-17, 271)
2015 Marco Dawson (Sr. Open Champ.) (-16, 264)
2015 Jeff Maggert (U.S. Senior Open) (-10, 270)
2015 Bernhard Langer (Senior Players) (-19, 265)
2015 Colin Montgomerie (Senior PGA) (-8, 280)
2015 Jeff Maggert (Tradition) (-14, 274, def. K. Sutherland in playoff)
2014 Bernhard Langer (Sr. Open Champ.) (-18, 266)
2014 Colin Montgomerie (U.S. Senior Open) (-5, 279, def. G. Sauers in playoff)
2014 Bernhard Langer (Senior Players) (-15, 265, def. J. Sluman in playoff)
2014 Colin Montgomerie (Senior PGA) (-13, 271)
2014 Kenny Perry (Tradition) (-7, 281)
2013 Mark Wiebe (Sr. Open Champ.) (-9, 271, def. B. Langer in playoff)
2013 Kenny Perry (U.S. Senior Open) (-13, 267)
2013 Kenny Perry (Senior Players) (-19, 261)
2013 David Frost (Tradition) (-16, 272)
2013 Kohki Idoki (Senior PGA) (-11, 273)
2012 Fred Couples (Sr. Open Champ.) (-9, 271)
2012 Roger Chapman (U.S. Senior Open) (-10, 270)
2012 Joe Daley (Senior Players) (-14, 266)
2012 Tom Lehman (Tradition) (-14, 274)
2012 Roger Chapman (Senior PGA) (-13, 271)
2011 Fred Couples (Senior Players) (-11, 273, def. J. Cook in playoff)
2011 Olin Browne (U.S. Senior Open) (-15, 269)
2011 Russ Cochran (Sr. Open Champ.) (-12, 276)
2011 Tom Watson (Senior PGA) (-10, 278, def. D. Eger in playoff)
2011 Tom Lehman (Tradition) (-13, 275, def. P. Senior in playoff)
2010 Mark O'Meara (Senior Players) (-7, 273, def. M. Allen in playoff)
2010 Fred Funk (Tradition) (-12, 276)
2010 Bernhard Langer (U.S. Senior Open) (-8, 272)
2010 Bernhard Langer (Sr. Open Champ.) (-5, 279)
2010 Tom Lehman (Senior PGA) (-7, 281, def. Couples & Frost in playoff
CAREER SENIOR MAJOR LEADERS – Bernhard Langer, who has won all five senior major professional titles, is the career leader in that category with 11. Jack Nicklaus, a two-time U.S. Senior Open champion, is second with eight senior major professional titles. Hale Irwin, who won the U.S. Senior Open in 1998 and 2000, is third with seven senior majors.
Career Senior Major Leaders
Number, Winners, Years of Championships
11, Bernhard Langer (2010 U.S. Senior Open; 2014, ’15, ‘16 Senior Players; 2010, ’14, ’17, ‘19 Sr. Open Champ.; 2016, ‘17 Tradition; 2017 Senior PGA)
8, Jack Nicklaus (1991, ’93 U.S. Senior Open; 1990, ’91, ’95, ’96 Tradition; 1990 Senior Players, 1991 Senior PGA)
7, Hale Irwin (1998, 2000 U.S. Senior Open; 1996, ’97, ’98, 2004 Senior PGA; 1999 Senior Players)
6, Gary Player (1987, ’88 U.S. Senior Open; 1986 ‘88, ’90 Senior PGA; 1987 Senior Players)
6, Steve Stricker (2019 U.S. Senior Open; 2019, ’22, ’23 Tradition; 2021 Senior Players, 2023 Senior PGA)
6, Tom Watson (2003, ’05, ’07 Sr. Open Champ.; 2001, ’11 Senior PGA; 2003 Tradition)
5, Miller Barber (1982, ’84, ’85 U.S. Senior Open; 1981 Senior PGA; 1983 Senior Players)
5, Arnold Palmer (1981 U.S. Senior Open; 1980, ’84 Senior PGA; 1984, ’85 Senior Players)
4, Allen Doyle (2005, ’06 U.S. Senior Open; 1999 Senior PGA; 2001 Senior Players)
4, Raymond Floyd (1996, 2000 Senior Players; 1994 Tradition; 1995 Senior PGA)
4, Kenny Perry (2013, ‘17 U.S. Senior Open; 2013 Senior Players; 2014 Tradition)
4, Loren Roberts (2006, ’09 Sr. Open Champ.; 2005 Tradition; 2007 Senior Players)
4, Lee Trevino (1990 U.S. Senior Open; 1992, ’94 Senior PGA; 1992 Tradition)
3, Fred Funk (2009 U.S. Senior Open; 2008, ’10 Tradition)
3, Jay Haas (2006, ’08 Senior PGA; 2009 Senior Players)
3, Tom Lehman (2011, ’12 Tradition; 2010 Senior PGA)
3, Colin Montgomerie (2014 Senior PGA; 2014 U.S. Senior Open; 2015 Senior PGA)
3, Gil Morgan (1997, ’98 Tradition; 1998 Senior Players)
3, Dave Stockton (1996 U.S. Senior Open; 1992, ’94 Senior Players)
TELEVISION SCHEDULE
The 43rd U.S. Senior Open will receive at least 20 hours of broadcast coverage. Rolex is the exclusive presenting partner of coverage for eight USGA championships in 2023, including the U.S. Senior Open. Rolex’s commitment will allow an uninterrupted broadcast of these championships, providing fans with hours of continuous live action.
Led by producer Chris Maguire and director Joe Martin, NBCUniversal’s production will utilize a roster of broadcasters that includes veterans Dan Hicks (anchor) and Paul Azinger (analyst). Peter Jacobsen, who won the 2004 U.S. Senior Open at Bellerive Country Club, in St. Louis, Mo., Mark Rolfing, Jim Gallagher Jr., Roger Maltbie and Jimmy Roberts are also part of the broadcast team. Jacobsen, who won the Senior Open in his first attempt, has played in 17 U.S. Opens and 13 Senior Opens. Gallagher and Maltbie have competed in 10 and eight U.S. Opens, respectively.
Date/Day Time (Local/CDT) Network Coverage
June 29/Thursday 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Golf Channel First Round
5-7 p.m. Golf Channel First Round
June 30/Friday 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Golf Channel Second Round
5-7 p.m. Golf Channel Second Round
July 1/Saturday Noon.-1 p.m. Peacock Third Round
1-5 p.m. NBC Third Round
July 2/Sunday 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Peacock Fourth Round
1-4 p.m. NBC Fourth Round
HISTORY – This is the 43rd 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.
WINNERS OF U.S. OPEN & U.S. SENIOR OPEN
Winners, Years of Championships
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)
CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY
The U.S. Senior Open, first contested in 1980, is in just 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 of Brookline, Mass., agreed to the challenge. While there is still some dispute as to which team won, the team from The Country Club, 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 Country Club in Illinois. The original was then given its second and final retirement and is on display at the USGA Golf Museum in Liberty Corner, N.J.
TWO-TEE START – A two-tee start was adopted for the 2001 U.S. Senior Open. The USGA had adopted a two-tee start for the U.S. Women’s Open in 2000 and used the format for the first time in the U.S. Open in 2002. Play will begin at 7 a.m. CDT on Thursday on the first and 10th tees at SentryWorld.
SENIOR OPEN PRIZE MONEY – Padraig Harrington earned $720,000 from a purse of $4 million when he captured the 2022 U.S. Senior Open. Brad Bryant received $470,000 from a purse of $2.6 million when the championship was played in 2007 at Whistling Straits. In 1980, Roberto De Vicenzo won the first U.S. Senior Open and earned $20,000.
SENIOR OPEN BIRTHDAYS – Seven players in the U.S. Senior Open field will be celebrating a birthday around the championship. Mark Hensby, who tied for third last year at Saucon Valley Country Club, turns 52 on June 29, the first round of the championship. Colin Montgomerie, who celebrated his 60th birthday on June 23, won the 2014 U.S. Senior Open and owns 31 DP World Tour victories. Paul Goydos, who celebrated his 59th birthday on June 20, has been victorious on both the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions.
2023 U.S. Senior Open Competitors
Name Birthdate Age (on birthday)
Paul Goydos 6-20-64 59
a-Trip Kuehne 6-20-72 51
Colin Montgomerie 6-23-63 60
Tim Fleming 6-27-65 58
Mark Hensby 6-29-71 52
Scott Petersen 7-4-70 53
Kevin Sutherland 7-4-64 59
OLDEST & YOUNGEST – Brad Bryant, the 2007 U.S. Senior Open champion, is the oldest player in the field at age 68. Bryant, who has won four times on PGA Tour Champions, posted a three-stroke victory over Ben Crenshaw 16 years ago at Whistling Straits. He played in seven U.S. Opens, with his best finish a tie for 13th in 1995 at Shinnecock Hills. Javier Quevedo, a professional from Mexico, is the youngest, having turned 50 on April 16.
FIELD FOR THE AGES – Six players in the 2023 U.S. Senior Open field have celebrated their 50th birthday since January. Iain Pyman (1993) and a-Lee James (1994) each won The R&A Amateur. Pyman defeated Paul Page in a 37-hole final at Royal Portrush and went on to play on the 1993 Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup Team. He has won eight Challenge Tour events as a professional.
There are 24 players in the field who are 60 or older. Brad Bryant (2007), Fred Funk (2009), Kenny Perry (2013, 2017) and Bernhard Langer (2010) are U.S. Senior Open champions.
The average age of the 156-player field is 55.37.
INTERNATIONAL GROUP – There are 23 countries represented in the 2023 U.S. Senior Open. The USA has 112 players in the field, while Australia has seven and Canada has four.
Countries with players in the field: United States (112), Australia (7), Canada (4), England (3), Japan (3), South Africa (3), Argentina (2), Germany (2), Republic of Korea (2), New Zealand (2), Scotland (2), Spain (2), Thailand (2), Brazil (1), Colombia (1), Cyprus (1), Fiji (1), Republic of Ireland (1), Italy (1), Mexico (1), Northern Ireland (1), Sweden (1) and Wales (1).
FIRST TIME IN U.S. SENIOR OPEN – There are 53 players in the 2023 championship field who are playing in their first U.S. Senior Open. Justin Leonard won the 1997 Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland. Leonard, the 1992 U.S. Amateur champion, was a 12-time winner on the PGA Tour, including the 1998 Players Championship. Hiroyuki Fujita, who has played in every major professional championship, has recorded 18 Japan Golf Tour victories.
List of First-Time U.S. Senior Open Competitors (53): Brad Adamonis, a-Scott Almquist, Jesus Amaya, Paul Archbold, Phillip Archer, a-Ken Bakst, Craig Barlow, Notah Begay III, Kris Blanks, David Branshaw, Emanuele Canonica, a-Scott Cornette, Dave Cunningham, Adilson da Silva, Ross Fisher, Tim Fleming, Scott Foster, Hiroyuki Fujita, Keiichiro Fukabori, a-Lee James, Takashi Kanemoto, Joe Kern, Danny King, a-Trip Kuehne, Bradley Lanning, a-Tom Lape, Justin Leonard, Mitch Lowe, Jon Mansfield, Euan McIntosh, a-Brooks Newsom, John O’Donnell, Scott Petersen, Steve Pleis, Bobby Pritchard, Iain Pyman, a-Brian Quackenbush, Javier Quevedo, Christian Raynor, Tony Robydek, Anthony Rodriguez, Patrick Sheehan, Laird Small, Mick Smith, Stuart Smith, Bob Sowards, Jerry Springer, Paul Stankowski, a-Rusty Strawn, Joe Summerhays, Jason Widener, a-Eric Williams, a-Tony Wise
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE – Brad Lanning, 52, of Hortonville, Wis., was once an assistant professional at Sand Valley Golf Resort, located 45 miles southwest of SentryWorld. He was one of two players to advance from the Stevens Point, Wis., qualifier on May 26. Lanning, who will play in his first U.S. Senior Open, owns several pawn shops in the region. He played on Stanford University’s 1994 NCAA championship team with Notay Begay III, who is in the Senior Open field, and Casey Martin. He went on to play on several professional tours and later served as an assistant on Martin’s staff at the University of Oregon and as head coach at Loyola Marymount. He was also an assistant at Valor Christian High School in Colorado, where current U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark was a team member.
CAPITAL CITY KELLY – Jerry Kelly was born and raised in Madison, the state capital of Wisconsin. He attended Madison East High School, where he was an all-city hockey selection. Kelly worked his way to the PGA Tour, where he won three tournaments and competed in 10 U.S. Opens. As a PGA Tour Champions competitor, he has registered 11 victories, including a pair of Bridgestone Senior Players Championships in 2020 and 2022. He owns four top-10 finishes in five U.S. Senior Open starts and is a two-time runner-up (2018, 2019).
STRICKER SLAM? – Steve Stricker will attempt to become the first player to capture three consecutive senior major professional championships. He claimed the Regions Tradition by six strokes on May 14 and defeated Padraig Harrington in a playoff two weeks later to win the KitchenAid Senior PGA. The 56-year-old who was born in Edgerton, Wis., is the 10th player to attempt to win three consecutive contested senior majors. In 2017, Bernhard Langer was the last to win back-to-back senior majors before tying for 18th in the U.S. Senior Open at Salem Country Club, in Peabody, Mass.
FIRST-TIME HARRINGTON – Padraig Harrington became the third consecutive U.S. Senior Open champion to win on his first attempt. He posted a one-stroke victory last year at Saucon Valley Country Club, in Bethlehem, Pa. Steve Stricker won the 2019 title and was the first since Roger Chapman in 2012 to accomplish the feat. After the 2020 championship was cancelled due to the pandemic, Jim Furyk became the eighth player to capture both the U.S. Open and U.S. Senior Open titles when he won in 2021 at Omaha (Neb.) Country Club. Harrington tied for 28th in this year’s U.S. Open at The Los Angeles Country Club, the first defending Senior Open champion to make the 36-hole cut since Colin Montgomerie in 2015. He shot a final-round 63 on June 25 to win the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open, his first PGA Tour Champions victory in 2023.
THREESOME OF CHAMPIONS – There have been 22 players in the history of the U.S. Open to claim the championship more than once and three who have accomplished the feat are in this year’s U.S. Senior Open at SentryWorld. Ernie Els won the U.S. Open in 1994 and 1997 and also owns a pair of British Open Championships (2002, 2012). Els has combined to win 47 times on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. Lee Janzen captured the U.S. Open title in 1993 and 1998. Retief Goosen, who was runner-up along with Mike Weir in the 2021 Senior Open, was a U.S. Open champion in 2001 and 2004.
ALMA MATER I – Jerry Kelly, Tim Petrovic and Patrick Sheehan all played college golf at the University of Hartford in Connecticut. Kelly (1986-89) is a two-time runner-up in the U.S. Senior Open (2018, 2019) and has played in 10 U.S. Opens. Petrovic (1985-88) shared runner-up with Kelly behind champion David Toms in the 2018 Senior Open at The Broadmoor. Sheehan (1988-91) qualified for his first Senior Open on May 11. He was the medalist with a 67 at Oak Ridge (Tenn.) Country Club.
ALMA MATER II – Notah Begay III, Brad Lanning and Will Yanagisawa were all members of Stanford University’s 1994 national championship team. Begay, who played in three U.S. Opens and was selected to the 1995 USA Walker Cup Team, has served as a golf analyst for NBC Sports and Golf Channel. Lanning, who qualified at nearby Stevens Point Country Club on May 26, has worked as a college golf coach and competed on several professional tours. Yanagisawa is a player development manager for a sports equipment manufacturing company.
AMES AIMS FOR WINS – Stephen Ames, 59, of Canada, is hitting on all cylinders with three PGA Tour Champions victories in 2023, including the Principal Charity Classic on June 4. Ames, who was born in Trinidad & Tobago, has competed in nine U.S. Senior Opens and finished in the top 10 three times. He won four PGA Tour events, including the 2006 Players Championship, and was a two-time DP World Tour winner. He played in 10 U.S. Opens, with his best finish a tie for ninth in 2004 at Shinnecock Hills.
LABRITZ’S JOURNEY – Rob Labritz, 52, of Pound Ridge, N.Y., became an instant sensation when he tied for fourth in last year’s U.S. Senior Open and was near the lead after 54 holes at Saucon Valley Country Club’s Old Course. Labritz spent three decades working as a club professional, including a stint at GlenArbor Golf Club, in New York’s Westchester County, before earning his tour card as the Q-school medalist in December 2021. Labritz had toiled on the Australasian, Gold Coast Golf, Golden Bear and Canadian tours in his younger years.
GOLF APPAREL – John O’Donnell, 58, of Los Angeles, Calif., is the founder of johnnie-O apparel, a brand marketed as East Coast fashion meeting the Southern California lifestyle. O’Donnell was the medalist with a 68 at Soule Park Golf Club, in Ojai, Calif., on May 15 and will play in his first U.S. Senior Open. O’Donnell, a walk-on at UCLA and a club champion at The Los Angeles Country Club, has competed in two U.S. Amateurs and five U.S. Mid-Amateurs, reaching the Round of 16 in 2007 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon. His younger brother, Chris, is an accomplished movie and television actor.
COACH FOR SUCCESS – Mike Small is head men’s golf coach at the University of Illinois, where the program has won eight consecutive Big Ten Conference titles and advanced to 14 NCAA Championships in the last 15 years. He will compete in his third U.S. Senior Open after earning one of two spots in the Flossmoor, Ill., qualifier on May 23. Small, who has won three PGA Professional National Championships, made the 36-hole cut in his previous two Senior Opens, tying for 43rd in 2016 and tying for 42nd in 2017. He has competed in three U.S. Opens (1994, 1997, 2008). Steve Stricker, the 2019 U.S. Senior Open champion, and Small were teammates on a Big Ten championship-winning team at Illinois and were groomsmen in each other’s weddings.
MASTER INSTRUCTOR – Laird Small has worked at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Academy as master instructor since 1996. The 66-year-old teaching professional also started the AT&T Pebble Beach Junior Golf Association, which hosts 2,500 youths annually. His clients include 1992 U.S. Open champion Tom Kite and Kirk Triplett, who is in this year’s U.S. Senior Open field. Small, who qualified for his first Senior Open on May 22 at San Luis Obispo (Calif.) Country Club, spent nine years has head professional at Spyglass Hill Golf Course, in Pebble Beach, which will host the 2030 U.S. Senior Open.
THE SUMMER OF SUMMERHAYS – Joe Summerhays, 51, of Syracuse, Utah, is a teaching professional at Eagle Creek Golf Course and Oakridge Country Club in the Beehive State. He became the third person from the Summerhays family to qualify for a USGA championship this year when he was medalist at Goose Creek Country Club on May 30 with a round of 68. His cousins, Grace and Preston, qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Open, respectively. Preston won the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur.
A RETURN TO GOLF – Harry Rudolph III, 53, of La Jolla, Calif., competed at a high level in his youth, became a professional, left the game for nearly a decade, returned later as a reinstated amateur and is now a pro again. In 1987, Rudolph knocked heads on the junior circuit with six-time major champion Phil Mickelson and advanced far into match play in both the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Junior Amateur. He went on to earn All-America honors at the University of Arizona, where he teamed with Jim Furyk and others to win the 1992 NCAA Championship. His fortunes never blossomed as a professional and he put the clubs away in 1999. His father, Harry Jr., a former batboy for the Brooklyn Dodgers, opened Harry’s Coffee Shop in the mold of the great New York diners. Harry III, along with his siblings, has spent most of his time operating the San Diego establishment. He is playing in his third U.S. Senior Open after qualifying for the third consecutive year.
BACK IN THE USGA – Brendan Hester, a 53-year-old amateur from Northbridge, Mass., returns to USGA competition for the first time in 17 years, when he played in the 2006 U.S. Mid-Amateur. Hester is playing more golf these days following the sale of his human capital management company. He carded a 2-under 70 at Vesper Country Club on May 31 to earn one of two spots in the Tyngsborough, Mass., qualifier. Hester sank an 8-foot birdie putt on his 16th hole to pave the way to his first U.S. Senior Open. He has played in 18 USGA championships and was a 2005 U.S. Mid-Amateur quarterfinalist.
THE GREAT THINKER – Jon Levitt is a golf mental trainer who wrote the book, “The Process: Mental Training and The Principles of Limitless Golfing Success.” Levitt, who will compete in his third U.S. Senior Open, started playing golf at age 16 and was an All-American at Cal State Northridge. He would compete around the world for 14 years as a professional. The 60-year-old from Pasadena, Calif., later worked as a construction manager and field inspector and managed a West Los Angeles golf course.
LONG DRIVE – Monte Scheinblum, 56, of Irvine, Calif., won the National U.S. Long Drive Championship and World Long Drive Championship in 1992. He turned to golf after injuring his pitching elbow as a freshman in high school. His father, Richie, played for seven Major League Baseball teams, including the Kansas City Royals, and was a member of the 1972 American League All-Star Team. Monte, who competed on the Korn Ferry Tour in the 1990s, will play in his second U.S. Senior Open.
LATE TO THE FIELD – Ross Fisher, the first alternate from the Jurupa Valley, Calif., site., was added to the field when Thomas Bjorn withdrew on June 23. Fisher, 54, of Riverside, Calif., is playing in his first U.S. Senior Open. Fisher shot 69 at Goose Greek Golf Club, where he is the owner and director of golf. He has served as a volunteer golf coach at California Baptist University since 2020. Fisher graduated from the PGA Professional Golf Management School at New Mexico State University and would later work at two resorts – Grand Cypress, in Orlando, Fla., and Mauna Kea Beach, in Waimea, Hawaii.
ON TOUR – Steve Stricker has won four PGA Tour Champions events in 2023, including the first two senior major professional championships. Stephen Ames has won three times in a four-month span. David Toms, the 2018 U.S. Senior Open champion, was a two-time winner in the month of March.
Multiple PGA Tour Champions Winners in 2023:
4, Steve Stricker (Mitsubishi Electric Classic at Hualalai, Regions Tradition, KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, American Family Insurance Championship)
3, Stephen Ames (Trophy Hassan II, Mitsubishi Electric Classic (Ga.), Principal Charity Classic)
2, David Toms (Cologuard Classic, Galleri Classic)
IN MEMORIAM – Dale Douglass and Tom Weiskopf, who won the U.S. Senior Open Championship in 1986 and 1995, respectively, each passed away within the last year. Douglass, who won 11 PGA Tour Champions tournaments, died at age 86 on July 6, 2022. Weiskopf, the 1973 Open champion at Royal Troon and a 16-time PGA Tour winner, died at age 79 on Aug. 20, 2022.
Don January, who won 22 PGA Tour Champions events, is among several other notables who have recently died. January, who died at 93 on May 7, competed in 17 U.S. Opens and won the 1967 PGA Championship. Dow Finsterwald, who also passed at age 93, on Nov. 4, 2022, competed in 15 U.S. Opens and seven U.S. Senior Opens and won the 1958 PGA Championship. Tommy Jacobs, who died at age 87 last July 9, was runner-up in the 1964 U.S. Open. Barry Lane, who played in four U.S. Opens and eight U.S. Senior Opens, died at age 62 on Dec. 31, 2022.
TICKETS AVAILABLE – Tickets for the 2023 U.S. Senior Open Championship are available for purchase at ussenioropen.com. Championship round individual gallery tickets are $50 (Thursday-Sunday), while practice-round tickets are $25 (Tuesday-Wednesday).
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