Four-time Major Champion Ernie Els will tee it up at The Senior Open Presented by Rolex at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club from July 27-30.
The South African will make his return to Europe’s only Senior Major championship alongside countryman James Kingston, who last year became the first South African in 30 years to win the John Jacobs Trophy for topping the Legends Tour Order of Merit.
Royal Porthcawl will play host to the Senior Open for the third time in its history, following the events in 2014 and 2017 when Germany’s Bernhard Langer triumphed on both occasions, and the Championship’s return to South Wales is hotly anticipated.
Els, who is a two-time winner of both The Open and the U.S. Open, has finished inside the top ten on both his Senior Open starts and will this year be looking to add his maiden Senior Major to his glittering record.
“Since turning 50, the Senior Open has been one of the highlights of my schedule so I can’t wait to visit Royal Porthcawl next month,” he said.
"I'm still relatively young on this circuit and I feel I've got a lot of opportunity to contend.
"There's a lot of good players that are coming through but I still feel if I play good golf, I can win tournaments. I won again in America a couple of months ago and that gave me a big confidence boost.”
A stellar field is assembling for the South Wales showpiece, including defending champion Darren Clarke, Ireland’s Pádraig Harrington – who last month defended his Dick’s Sporting Goods Open title for his fifth PGA TOUR Champions victory – as well as fellow former Ryder Cup Captains Thomas Bjørn, Langer, José María Olazábal, Colin Montgomerie and Ian Woosnam.
Royal Porthcawl was founded in 1891 as a nine-hole course before an agreement was made four years later to add another nine holes. In 1909, the club was bestowed the honour of using the prefix Royal – only the second club in Wales to be granted the privilege after Royal St David’s – before hosting its first significant championship in 1951 when The Amateur Championship took place.
This year will mark the third time the venue has hosted The Senior Open Presented by Rolex, with Langer winning in 2014 and 2017. His win in 2014 was by a Championship-record 13 strokes. Northern Ireland’s Clarke will defend his title in South Wales this year, having claimed his maiden Senior Major at Gleneagles in 2022.
Tickets for The Senior Open Presented by Rolex are on sale now, with prices starting at just £25 for adults for championship days. Season tickets, giving holders access to all four championship days plus the Wednesday practice day, are available for only £95. Click here to purchase yours.
