This past weekend, Royal Troon Golf Club provided a wonderful backdrop to a thrilling four days of Open Championship Golf. Xander Schauffele didn't just survive the brutal course, he thrived with a final-day round of 65 to win his second major of the year.
This weekend will bring more exciting golf to Scotland, though the focus will shift to some of the sport's legendary players and the Senior Open Championship.
While the event is reserved for competitors age 50 and over, fans can expect to see both skilled play and star power. Defending champion Alex Čejka, for example, was once ranked as high as 33rd in the world and won four European Tour events before moving to the Senior Tour—where he has since claimed three majors.
Other notable golfers expected to be in this weekend's field include Vijay Singh, Mike Weir, Colin Montgomerie and Darren Clarke.
The action is set to kick off on Thursday at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland. Here's everything you need to know.
2024 Senior Open Championship
When: July 25-28
Where: Carnoustie Golf Links in Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland
First Tee: 6:46 a.m. BST (1:45 a.m. ET)
Prize Pool: $2.85 Million
TV Schedule (per the Associated Press)
Thursday: 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Golf Channel
Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Golf Channel
Saturday: 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Golf Channel
Sunday: 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Golf Channel
*All tee times can be found at EuropeanTour.com
Preview
For those unfamiliar, the Senior Open Championship is part of the Legends Tour season with prize money becoming official for both the PGA Tour Champions series and the European Senior Tour.
The Senior Open debuted in 1987 at Turnberry golf resort.
This year's tournament will be held at Carnoustie Golf Links, a historic links course that has hosted both the Open Championship and the Women's British Open. It also played host to the Senior Open in both 2010 and 2016. The winner will earn a spot in next year's Open Championship.
Čejka will look to defend his title and pick up a fourth Senior major, but he'll face plenty of quality competition over the weekend. Clarke, for example, won the Senior Open in 2022 and won the Open Championship back in 2011.
Golfers have a number of paths to qualifying for the Senior Open, including several exemption categories. Former winners of the tournament, like Čejka, Clarke and Stephen Dodd are eligible. So are majors winners like Singh, Weir and Paul Lawrie.
Another 24 spots were up for grabs at qualifying events held at various Scottish courses and at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.
Jason Perry, who last played in a PGA event in 1998, earned a spot through the latter route. He traveled from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to northern Ohio to reignite his golfing dream.
"I was just waiting to turn 50 and give it a try," Perry said, per Adam Schupak of Golfweek.
One golfer to watch over the weekend will be Pádraig Harrington who lost to Čejka in a playoff at last year's tournament. Harrington won the Open Championship at Carnoustie but recently admitted that the course will be a challenge.
"This is Carnoustie we're talking about. No one goes there and thinks they have the course licked. So no, I'm not going there thinking I can handle anything it throws at me," Harrington said, per John Huggan of Golf Digest.
Bernhard Langer, who won the Senior Open in 2017 and 2019, should also be a factor this weekend. It's worth noting, though that Langer remains the last repeat champion and that the last five tournaments have all been one by different golfers.
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