The Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex this week returns to Carnoustie for the first time since 2010, with 144 of the world’s finest over-50s golfers all aiming to claim the senior Claret Jug in the 30thedition of the prestigious championship. After an incredible week at Royal Troon, the eyes of the golfing world turn from the west coast of Scotland to the east coast, so here is all you need to know…
Rewind
American Marco Dawson won his first Senior Major Championship at Sunningdale Golf Club last year when he beat German Bernhard Langer by one shot. Dawson went into the final round level with Colin Montgomerie on ten under par but, at one stage, found himself three shots behind the 2010 European Ryder Cup captain.
Dawson went into the turn two under par on the day after a spectacular eagle on the par four ninth hole and then shot a second eagle on the par five 14thhole to move one shot ahead of Langer. He was then left with a pressure putt on the 18thto take a one-stroke lead, and, from 18 feet, Dawson held his nerve and sank the putt for a closing round of 64, putting him out of Langer’s reach.
Bite-sized history
The Senior Open Championship has produced 20 different winners in its 29-year history, with golfing legends Gary Player and Tom Watson each winning the title on three occasions.
Player secured the senior Claret Jug in 1988, 1990 and 1997, while Watson won his trio of titles in the space of five years – 2003, 2005 and 2007.
Bernhard Langer was pipped to a third Senior Open Championship by Dawson last year and will be on the hunt for his fourth Senior Major Championship on the European Senior Tour, adding to his three Senior Players Championship and his Regions Tradition victory earlier this year on the PGA TOUR Champions circuit.
Neil Coles won the inaugural Championship, held at Turnberry, with a score of one under par.
The field
There will be a glut of golfing talent at Carnoustie this week as 27 Major and Senior Major Champions, with 64 wins between them, will tee it up on Thursday. Five of this week’s field have won both a Major and a Senior Major; Bernhard Langer, Tom Lehman, Mark O’Meara, Craig Stadler and Tom Watson.
Six former winners; Russ Cochran, Marco Dawson, Langer, Noboru Sugai, Watson and Mark Wiebe, will look to add to their trophy cabinets on the Angus links.
Jean Van de Velde will make his Senior Open debut as he returns to the site of the 1999 Open Championship, where he lost a play-off to Paul Lawrie, while 1995 Open Champion John Daly and 2004 Open Champion Todd Hamilton are also making their Senior Open Championship debuts.
Three of the field have previously won at Carnoustie, with Langer returning to the site of his Senior Open victory. Watson won The 104thOpen Championship at Carnoustie in 1975 and former World Number One Ian Woosnam won the Scottish Open in 1996.
Seven European Senior Tour Order of Merit winners will be teeing up; Roger Chapman, Peter Fowler, Carl Mason, Colin Montgomerie, Sam Torrance, Paul Wesselingh and Woosnam, as will 30 former Ryder Cup stars.
The course
At 7,295 yards, Carnoustie is the longest course on the 2016 European Senior Tour schedule, approximately 50 yards further than the L’Albatros course at Le Golf National, host of the Paris Legends Championship in September.
Carnoustie Golf Club was formed in 1839 and has played host to seven Open Championships and one Senior Open Championship in 2010 when Langer held off Corey Pavin, who later that year led the United States in the Ryder Cup.
The back-nine is considered one of the toughest in championship golf, including the 235-yard par three 16thhole. Following that, the infamous Barry Burn comes into play on the 17thand 18thholes. The notorious river has been responsible for the destruction of many a round in professional golf, and will more than likely have a part to play across the week.
