Thirty-three sites will host qualifying for the 43rd U.S. Senior Open Championship, to be held at SentryWorld, in Stevens Point, Wis., from June 29-July 2. SentryWorld is hosting its first Senior Open and third USGA championship.
Conducted over 18 holes, qualifying will be held between May 8 and June 8. Entries are now open for qualified players until Wednesday, May 3, at 5 p.m. EDT (champ-admin.usga.org).
“The USGA is excited to bring senior golf’s most prestigious championship back to Wisconsin for the first time since 2007, where the world’s top players will compete for the Francis D. Ouimet Memorial Trophy,” said USGA Chief Championships Officer John Bodenhamer. “Allied Golf Associations throughout the United States help provide thousands of golfers the opportunity to earn a place in the 156-player field. This qualifying process is representative of the USGA’s core values and is important to the success of the championship.”
Those players who are exempt from qualifying and have already filed entries include 2022 champion Padraig Harrington, who won with a 72-hole score of 274 (10 under) at Saucon Valley Country Club, in Bethlehem, Pa. U.S. Senior Open champions Fred Funk (2009), Bernhard Langer (2010), Olin Browne (2011), Kenny Perry (2013, 2017), Colin Montgomerie (2014), Gene Sauers (2016) and Jim Furyk (2021) have also entered, along with U.S. Open champions Ernie Els (1994, 1997), Retief Goosen (2001, 2004), Michael Campbell (2005) and Furyk (2003).
One of the U.S. Senior Open qualifiers will be held at The Omni Homestead Resort’s Cascades Course, in Hot Springs, Va. The club will host qualifying for the ninth consecutive time and 19th overall. It has been the site of eight USGA championships, including the 1967 U.S. Women’s Open and 1988 U.S. Amateur. Sam Snead, a four-time U.S. Open runner-up and World Golf Hall of Famer, was The Homestead’s golf professional for nearly six decades.
Wynlakes Golf and Country Club, in Montgomery, Ala., and Worthington Hills Country Club, in Columbus, Ohio, will each host qualifying for the ninth time. Andrew Johnson advanced from Wynlakes to last year’s championship while Richard Green qualified in Worthington Hills. Johnson tied for 41st and Green tied for 49th at Saucon Valley’s Old Course.
Mark Hensby posted the best finish by a qualifier at Saucon Valley, placing third behind Harrington and runner-up Steve Stricker. Hensby shot a 68 at Golfcrest Country Club, in Pearland, Texas, to advance. The club is hosting a qualifier for the third time.
For the 10th time since 1993, Green Valley Country Club, in Fairfield, Calif., is a Senior Open qualifying host. Goose Creek Golf Club, in Jurupa Valley, Calif., and Indiana (Pa.) Country Club will be qualifying sites for the seventh and sixth times, respectively.
Stevens Point (Wis.) Country Club, located 4 miles southeast of SentryWorld., will host a U.S. Senior Open qualifier on Friday, May 26. The Portage County course has hosted the 1976 Wisconsin State Amateur and four Wisconsin State Opens (1970, 1975, 1981, 2000).
California has the most qualifying sites with five. Three U.S. Senior Open qualifiers are scheduled in Florida, while Wisconsin and Texas will host two qualifiers. There are qualifying sites in 25 states.
Don Pooley (2002) is the lone player to win the U.S. Senior Open after advancing through qualifying. In 2022, 21 golfers who played in a qualifier made the 36-hole cut at Saucon Valley.
The 2023 U.S. Senior Open will be the 17th USGA championship contested in Wisconsin. To be eligible, a player must have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 3.4 or be a professional, and be 50 years of age at the start of championship play.
In 2007, Brad Bryant won by three strokes over Ben Crenshaw in the lone U.S. Senior Open to be contested in Wisconsin. The championship was played at Whistling Straits, in Kohler.
2023 U.S. Senior Open Qualifying Sites (33)
Monday, May 8 (1)
Eagle Eye G.C. (Hawk Hollow Course), Bath Township, Mich.
Tuesday, May 9 (1)
Woodmont G. & C.C., Canton, Ga.
Wednesday, May 10 (2)
Columbia Edgewater C.C., Portland, Ore.
Indian Creek G.C. (Creek Course), Carrollton, Texas
Thursday, May 11 (1)
Oak Ridge (Tenn.) Country Club
Monday, May 15 (6)
Green Valley C.C., Fairfield, Calif.
Big Canyon C.C., Newport Beach, Calif.
Soule Park Golf Course, Ojai, Calif.
Cheyenne Shadows G.C., Fort Carson, Colo.
Golfcrest C.C., Pearland, Texas
Oakbrook G.C., Lakewood, Wash.
Wednesday, May 17 (2)
New Mexico State University G.C., Las Cruces, N.M.
Troy Burne G.C., Hudson, Wis.
Thursday, May 18 (1)
Orchard Ridge C.C., Fort Wayne, Ind.
Monday, May 22 (6)
San Luis Obispo (Calif.) C.C.
Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club, Ocala, Fla.
Firekeeper Golf Course, Mayetta, Kan.
Argyle C.C., Silver Spring, Md.
Worthington Hills C.C., Columbus, Ohio
Long Cove Club, Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Tuesday, May 23 (3)
Lost Tree Club, North Palm Beach, Fla.
Flossmoor (Ill.) C.C.
Arcola C.C., Paramus, N.J.
Thursday, May 25 (1)
Lakewood National G.C., Lakewood Ranch, Fla.
Friday, May 26 (1)
Stevens Point (Wis.) C.C.
Tuesday, May 30 (1)
Goose Creek G.C., Jurupa Valley, Calif.
Wednesday, May 31 (3)
Vesper C.C., Tyngsboro, Mass.
Indiana (Pa.) C.C.
The Omni Homestead Resort (Cascades Course), Hot Springs, Va.
Thursday, June 1 (1)
Wynlakes G. & C.C., Montgomery, Ala.
Monday, June 5 (2)
Arizona C.C., Phoenix, Ariz.
Leilehua Golf Course, Wahiawa, Hawaii
Thursday, June 8 (1)
Mill Creek G.C., Mebane, N.C.
