Senior Open Championship Winners and History

The Senior Open Championship dates to 1987, when it was known as the Senior British Open. Run by the Royal and Ancient, it typically is held the week after the Open Championship. The Senior Open Championship is an official event on by the PGA TOUR Champions and the European Seniors Tour. Since 2002, it has been recognized as a major championship on the Champions Tour schedule.

The Senior Open field consists of 144 players aged fifty or older. A hundred and twenty  typically are exempt; the remainder qualify on the Monday before the tournament.

Exemptions for the Senior Open:

  • Any past winner of The Senior Open Championship
  • Past winners of any of the major championships or The Players Championship
  • Winners of the European Tour Order of Merit (now Race to Dubai) in first five years of age eligibility
  • Winners of the BMW PGA Championship in first five years of age eligibility
  • Top 30 from the previous year’s European Senior Tour Order of Merit
  • Top 50 from the European Senior Tour all-time money list as of the start of the tournament
  • Top 30 from the previous year’s PGA Tour Champions money list
  • Top 50 from the PGA Tour Champions all-time money list as of the start of the tournament
  • Top 15 finishers, plus ties, from the previous year’s Senior Open Championship
  • Winners of official events on the European Senior Tour and PGA Tour Champions in the previous two years (starting with the first tournaments after The Senior Open Championship of two years prior)
  • Winners of official events on the European Tour, PGA Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia, Japan Golf Tour, and Sunshine Tour in first year of age eligibility
  • Past members of Ryder Cup orPresidents Cup teams in first year of age eligibility
  • Winners of the last five editions of all other events recognised as majors by PGA Tour Champions (Senior Players Championship, The Tradition, U.S. Senior Open, Senior PGA Championship)
  • Current holder of the Japan PGA Senior Championship
  • Current Japan Senior Open champion
  • Top four players, not already exempt, in the top 40 of the current year’s European Senior Tour Order of Merit as of the start of the tournament
  • Top eight players, not already exempt, in the top 75 of the current year’s PGA Tour Champions money list as of the start of the tournament
  • Current Seniors Open Amateur Champion
  • Current U.S. Senior Amateur champion
  • Leading amateur in the previous year’s Senior Open Championship who completed 72 holes
  • The Championship Committee may award special exemptions.

A list of Senior Open Championship Winners follows:

YearWinnerVenueScoreMargin
The Senior
Open
Championship
presented
by Rolex
2023Alex CejkaRoyal Porthcawl 289 (+5)Playoff
2022Darren ClarkeGleneagles270 (-10)1 stroke
2021Stephen DoddSunningdale267 (-13)1 stroke
2020COVID
2019Bernhard Langer (4)St. Andrews274 (-12)2 strokes
2018Miguel Angel JimenezRoyal Lytham
& St Annes
276(-12)1 stroke
2017Bernhard Langer (3)Royal
Porthcawl
280 (-4)3 strokes
2016Paul BroadhurstCarnoustie
Golf Links, 
Scotland
277 (-11)2 strokes
2015Marco DawsonSunningdale
Golf Club, 
England
264 (−16)1 stroke
2014Bernhard Langer (2)Royal
Porthcawl
Golf Club, 
Wales
266 (−18)13 strokes
2013Mark WiebeRoyal Birkdale
Golf Club, 
England
271 (−9)playoff
The Senior
Open
Championship
2012Fred CouplesTurnberry 
(Ailsa Course), 
Scotland
271 (−9)2 strokes
2011Russ CochranWalton Heath
Golf Club, 
England
276 (−12)2 strokes
The Senior
Open
Championship
presented by
MasterCard
2010Bernhard LangerCarnoustie
Golf Links, 
Scotland
279 (−5)1 stroke
2009Loren Roberts (2)Sunningdale
Golf Club, 
England
268 (−12)Playoff
2008Bruce VaughanRoyal Troon
Golf Club,
 Scotland
278 (−6)Playoff
The Senior
Open
Championship
presented by
Aberdeen Asset
Management
2007Tom Watson (3)Muirfield
Golf Links, 
Scotland
284 (E)1 stroke
The Senior
British Open
Championship
presented by
Aberdeen Asset
Management
2006Loren RobertsTurnberry 
(Ailsa Course), 
Scotland
274 (−6)Playoff
2005Tom Watson (2)Royal Aberdeen
Golf Club, 
Scotland
280 (−4)Playoff
The Senior
British Open
Championship presented by
MasterCard
2004Pete OakleyRoyal Portrush
Golf Club, 
Northern Ireland
284 (−4)1 stroke
Senior British
Open
presented by MasterCard
2003Tom WatsonTurnberry 
(Ailsa Course), 
Scotland
263 (−17)playoff
2002Noboru SugaiRoyal County
Down, 
Northern
Ireland
281 (−3)2 strokes
2001Ian StanleyRoyal County
Down, 
Northern
Ireland
278 (−6)playoff
2000Christy O’Connor Jnr (2)Royal County
Down, 
Northern
Ireland
275 (−9)2 strokes
Senior
British
Open
1999Christy O’Connor JnrRoyal
Portrush, 
Northern
Ireland
282 (−6)3 strokes
1998Brian HuggettRoyal
Portrush, 
Northern
reland
283 (−5)playoff
1997Gary Player (3)Royal
Portrush, 
Northern
Ireland
278 (−10)playoff
1996Brian Barnes (2)Royal
Portrush, 
Northern
Ireland
277 (−11)3 strokes
1995Brian BarnesRoyal
Portrush, 
Northern
Ireland
281 (−7)playoff
1994Tom WargoRoyal Lytham
& St. Annes, 
England
280 (−8)2 strokes
1993Bob Charles (2)Royal Lytham
& St. Annes,
England
291 (+7)1 stroke
1992John FourieRoyal Lytham
& St. Annes, 
England
282 (−2)3 strokes
Seniors British Open
1991Bobby VerweyRoyal Lytham
& St. Annes, 
England
285 (−1)1 stroke
Volvo Seniors
British Open
1990Gary Player (2)Turnberry 
(Ailsa Course), 
Scotland
280 (E)7 strokes
1989Bob CharlesTurnberry 
(Ailsa Course), 
Scotland
269 (−11)1 stroke
1988Gary PlayerTurnberry 
(Ailsa Course), 
Scotland
272 (−8)1 stroke
Seniors British
Open
1987Neil ColesTurnberry
 (Ailsa Course), 
Scotland
279 (−1)1 stroke

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