Colin Montgomerie blasts out of a bunker on the 18th hole during the final round of the 2015 U.S. Senior Open. Copyright USGA/Matt Sullivan
In August, 156 golfers from around the world who have reached age 50 will compete for the largest purse of the year, with a winner’s share of $675,000.
And they’ll be doing it right here in central Ohio.
The U.S. Senior Open Championship, the most celebrated senior golf tournament in the world, will be held Aug. 8-14 at Scioto Country Club in Upper Arlington.
More than 100,000 spectators are expected to pass through the gates of the country club to watch some of the biggest names in golf – such as Fred Couples, Tom Watson, John Daly, Bernhard Langer, Vijay Singh, Hale Irwin and Kenny Perry – vie for the title.
Many of the players competing in the U.S. Senior Open still compete regularly on the PGA Tour with much success. For instance, Langer entered the final day of the Masters Tournament this year just two strokes off the lead, Perry played in the 2015 Memorial Tournament and Watson played in his final Masters this year.
Jeff Maggert reacts to his missed putt on the 10th hole during the final round of the 2015 U.S. Senior Open at Del Paso Country Club in Sacramento. Copyright USGA/John Mummert
This is the second time Scioto has hosted the U.S. Senior Open. The country club is one of only seven golf courses in the country that have hosted five different major competitions, starting with the 1926 U.S. Open, won by golfing legend Bobby Jones, and followed by the 1931 Ryder Cup, 1950 PGA Championship, 1968 U.S. Amateur and 1986 U.S. Senior Open. The 1986 U.S. Senior Open saw Dale Douglass take home the trophy after winning a thrilling tournament marked by a one-stroke victory over the legendary Gary Player.
Scioto staffers learned in 2012 that the club was to host the U.S. Senior Open four years later. And it only adds to the thrill of hosting one of golf’s biggest events of the year that it coincides with the club’s 100th anniversary celebration this summer. This confluence of celebrations has members of the club and the general central Ohio public eager to show the world what Columbus has to offer.
And the world will be watching. Fox will broadcast 18 hours of live coverage of the tournament and distribute the broadcast internationally to over 100 countries, says Tom Sprouse, communications director at HNS Sports Group. HNS Sports Group is the event manager for both the U.S. Senior Open and the Memorial Tournament.
In addition to the immense exposure our city and region will receive, there is also a significant economic effect when an event this large comes to town.
“The estimated economic impact to the central Ohio community is $10-15 million,” says Sprouse.
Bernhard Langer reacts after his eagle on the first hole during the final round of the 2015 U.S. Senior Open. Copyright USGA/John Mummert
Columbus’ Two Tournaments
When central Ohioans think about local golf tournaments, the Memorial Tournament is the first thing that comes to mind. With its 41-year history here and legendary host Jack Nicklaus, the tournament and Columbus are indelibly linked.
For those who may be familiar with the format, players and other ins and outs of the Memorial Tournament, or for those watching the U.S. Senior Open for the first time, here’s what to expect.
Players
The main difference between the Memorial Tournament and the U.S. Senior Open is obvious: the age of the players.
The Senior Open is only for players who’ve hit the big 5-0 by Aug. 11, the first day of official tournament play. But as recently as 2013, Couples, Perry and Singh, who are committed for the U.S. Senior Open this year, all played in the Memorial Tournament, and Perry played his final PGA Tour event in last year’s Memorial Tournament. Daly, one of golf’s most popular players because of his unconventional approach to the game, just turned 50 on April 28 of this year and will be playing in his very first U.S. Senior Open.
The sizes of the line-ups differ as well. The Memorial Tournament is an invitational tournament, with number of participants capped at 120, but U.S. Senior Open eligibility is based on qualification, so its field this year beats the Memorial Tournament’s by 36 players.
Tom Watson watches his tee shot on the 14th hole during the first round of the 2015 U.S. Senior Open. Copyright USGA/J.D. Cuban
Style of Play
While the younger players at the Memorial Tournament typically hit the ball longer off the tee, the overall quality of play between the Memorial Tournament and U.S. Senior Open is quite similar.
“The players are extremely motivated to win (the U.S. Senior Open),” Sprouse says. “It’s the most prestigious senior golf tournament in the world.”
Logistics
Golf tournament etiquette is fairly standard for spectators at all events, and the same goes for this year’s U.S. Senior Open. Spectators should refer to the event policies posted on the tournament’s website, www.2016ussenioropen.com, in the month leading up to the event.
Bob Valasek is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
How to Get There
The U.S. Senior Open’s main admissions gate is right off Riverside Drive, but parking there won’t be as simple as cruising into the lot.
Most of the parking areas around Scioto Country Club will be used for hospitality and service parking, so the majority of public parking is west of the Ohio Stadium. Shuttles from public parking to the country club will run about seven minutes.
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