Currently Exempt Players for 2026 U.S. Senior Open

Here is the current list of exempt players for the 46th U.S. Senior Open Championship, which will be conducted July 2-5 at Scioto Country Club, in Columbus, Ohio. Those players not exempt can earn their way into the field via qualifying.

BOLD denotes the first time a player is listed and (a) indicates an amateur.  

F-1. Winners of the U.S. Senior Open Championship (2015-2025):

Padraig Harrington (2025)
Richard Bland (2024)
Bernhard Langer (2023)
Padraig Harrington (2022)
Jim Furyk (2021)
Championship not conducted in 2020 due to COVID-19 
Steve Stricker (2019)
David Toms (2018)
Kenny Perry (2017)
Gene Sauers (2016)
Jeff Maggert (2015)

F-2. Winners of the U.S. Senior Open from 2011-2025 who have not yet reached their 66th birthday on or before the U.S. Senior Open:

Padraig Harrington (2025)
Richard Bland (2024)
Padraig Harrington (2022)
Jim Furyk (2021)
Steve Stricker (2019)
David Toms (2018)
Kenny Perry (2017)
Gene Sauers (2016)
Jeff Maggert (2015)
Colin Montgomerie (2014)
Kenny Perry (2013)

F-3. From the 2025 U.S. Senior Open Championship, the lowest 15 scorers and anyone tying for 15th place:

Padraig Harrington
Stewart Cink
Miguel Angel Jimenez
Thomas Bjorn
Mark Hensby
Steve Flesch
Steven Alker
Paul Stankowski
Jason Caron
Tim Petrovic
Cameron Percy
Dicky Pride
Ernie Els
Katsumasa Miyamoto
Billy Andrade

F-4. From the 2025 U.S. Senior Open Championship, the amateur returning the lowest 72-hole score (must be an amateur):

N/A

F-5. Winners of the U.S. Open Championship (2016-2026) (Note: Blank entries will be filed by the USGA for players who become exempt after close of entries):

N/A

F-6. From the 2026 U.S. Open Championship, any amateur returning a 72-hole score (must be an amateur) (Note: Blank entries will be filed by the USGA for players who become exempt after the close of entries.):

N/A

F-7. Any player in his first 10 years of eligibility who has won the U.S. Open Championship:

Ernie Els (1994, 1997)
Jim Furyk (2003)
Retief Goosen (2001, 2004)
Michael Campbell (2005)
Angel Cabrera (2007)
Tiger Woods (2000, 2002, 2008)

F-8. Winners of the U.S. Amateur Championship (2014-2025) and the runner-up from 2025 (must be an amateur):

N/A

F-9. Winner and runner-up from the 2025 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship, and the winner of the 2025 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship (must be an amateur):

Michael McCoy (a)
Greg Sanders (a)

F-10. Any player in their first year of age eligibility who has won a U.S. Amateur Championship, Masters Tournament, The Open, The Amateur Championship or PGA Championship:

Tiger Woods
Hank Kuehne
Zach Johnson
Henrik Stenson

F-11. Winners of the Senior PGA Championship (2022-2026):

2026 champion to be crowned on April 19
Angel Cabrera (2025)
Richard Bland (2024)
Steve Stricker (2023)
Steven Alker (2022)

F-12. Winners of the ISPS HANDA Senior Open Championship conducted by The R&A in collaboration with the Legends Tour (2021-2025):

Padraig Harrington (2025)
K.J. Choi (2024)
Alex Cejka (2023)
Darren Clarke (2022)
Stephen Dodd (2021)

F-13. Winners of the Regions Tradition (2022-2026):

2026 champion to be crowned on May 3
Angel Cabrera (2025)
Doug Barron (2024)
Steve Stricker (2023)
Steve Stricker (2022)

F-14. Winners of the Kaulig Companies Championship (2022-2026):

Miguel Angel Jimenez (2025)
Ernie Els (2024)
Steve Stricker (2023)
Jerry Kelly (2022)

F-15. Those players who qualified for the 2025 PGA Tour Champions season-ending Championship (Charles Schwab Cup Championship):

Stewart Cink
Steven Alker
Miguel Angel Jimenez
Ernie Els
Thomas Bjorn
Padraig Harrington
Justin Leonard
Retief Goosen
Angel Cabrera
Cameron Percy
Steve Allan
Freddie Jacobson
Alex Cejka
Jerry Kelly
Darren Clarke
Richard Green
Steve Flesch
Y.E. Yang
Doug Barron
Tag Ridings
Jason Caron
Soren Kjeldsen
Vijay Singh
Tommy Gainey
Bernhard Langer
Mark Hensby
K.J. Choi
Ricardo Gonzalez
Greg Chalmers
Michael Wright
Charlie Wi
Matt Gogel
Paul Stankowski
Tim Petrovic
Boo Weekley
Tim O'Neal

F-16. From the 2026 official PGA Tour Champions Charles Schwab Cup Money List, the top 20 money leaders through the close of entries on March 25, 2026. Players must select a qualifying site at the time of entry. (Must have filed an entry by March 25, 2026):

Stewart Cink
Zach Johnson
David Toms
Steven Alker
Padraig Harrington
Angel Cabrera
George McNeill
Tommy Gainey
Boo Weekley
Alex Cejka
Steve Allan
Thomas Bjorn
Retief Goosen
Justin Leonard
Michael Wright
Steve Flesch
K.J. Choi
Bernhard Langer
Bo Van Pelt
Stephen Ames

F-17. From PGA Tour Champions All Time Money List, the top 40 money leaders through the close of entries on March 25, 2026. NOTE: PGA Tour Champions All Time Money Leaders is the total official money a player has earned on the Champions Tour, the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour since 1996. Players must select a qualifying site at the time of entry. (Must have filed an entry by March 25, 2026):

Tiger Woods
Vijay Singh
Jim Furyk
Ernie Els
Steve Stricker
David Toms
Zach Johnson
Stewart Cink
Bernhard Langer
Davis Love III
Kenny Perry
Jerry Kelly
Retief Goosen
K.J. Choi
Justin Leonard
Padraig Harrington
Tom Lehman
Jay Haas
Fred Funk
Mike Weir
Stuart Appleby
Mark Calcavecchia
Stephen Ames
Scott Verplank
Pat Perez
Ian Poulter
Jeff Maggert
Chad Campbell
Robert Allenby
Kevin Sutherland
Woody Austin
Kirk Triplett
Steve Flesch

F-18. Any player whose 50th birthday falls between the close of entries and the first scheduled round of the U.S. Senior Open Championship that, at the close of entries on March 25, 2026, would have otherwise been listed among the top 40 on the PGA Tour Champions All Time Money Leaders. Players must select a qualifying site at the time of entry. (Must have filed an entry by March 25, 2026):

N/A

F-19. Winners of PGA Tour Champions co-sponsored events, excluding team events, whose victories are considered official, from the conclusion of the 2025 U.S. Senior Open Championship (June 29, 2025) to the initiation of the 2026 U.S. Senior Open Championship (July 1, 2026) (NOTE: Blank entries will be filed by the USGA for those players who become exempt after the close of entries):

Steven Alker (2025 Simmons Bank Championship; 2026 Cologuard Classic)
Stewart Cink (2025 The Ally Challenge; 2025 Charles Schwab Cup Championship; 2026 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai; 2026 Hoag Classic)
Steve Allan (2025 Dick's Open; 2025 Boeing Classic)
Richard Green (2025 Rogers Charity Classic)
Thomas Bjorn (2025 Stifel Charity Classic)
Retief Goosen (2025 Sanford International)
Doug Barron (2025 PURE Insurance Championship)
Padraig Harrington (2025 ISPS HANDA Senior Open Championship)
Tommy Gainey (2025 Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS)
Alex Cejka (2025 SAS Championship)
Justin Leonard (2025 Dominion Energy Charity Classic)
David Toms (2026 Chubb Classic)
Zach Johnson (2026 James Hardie Football Hall of Fame Classic)

F-20. Winners of PGA Tour Champions co-sponsored events, excluding team events, whose victories were considered official, from the start of the 2024 season to the initiation of the 2024 U.S. Senior Open:

Steven Alker (2024 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai)
Stephen Ames (2024 Chubb Classic; 2024 Mitsubishi Electric Classic)
Ernie Els (2024 Principal Charity Classic; 2024 American Family Insurance Championship)
Padraig Harrington (2024 Hoag Classic Newport Beach; 2024 Dick's Sporting Goods Open)
Ricardo Gonzalez (2024 Trophy Hassan II)
Joe Durant (2024 Cologuard Classic)
Retief Goosen (2024 The Galleri Classic)
Scott Dunlap (2024 Insperity Invitational)
Doug Barron (2024 Regions Tradition)
Richard Bland (2024 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship)

F-21. Top 10 players from the 2025 Legends Tour Order of Merit as of December 31, 2025:

Scott Hend
Peter Baker
Keith Horne
Darren Fichardt
Greg Owen
Mikael Lundberg
Simon Griffiths
James Kingston
Andrew Marshall
David Drysdale

F-22. From the 2025 final Japan Senior Tour money list, the top 4 money winners:

Katsumasa Miyamoto
Thammanoon Sriroj
Takashi Iwamoto

F-23. Winners of the Masters Tournament (2016-2026), winners of the PGA Championship (2015-2026), and winners of The Open Championship conducted by The R&A (2015-2025) (Note: Blank entries will be filed by the USGA for players who become exempt after the close of entries.):

Tiger Woods
Henrik Stenson

F-24. Playing members of the five most current United States and European Ryder Cup Teams, and U.S. and World Presidents' Cup Teams:

Thongchai Jaidee (2015 Presidents Cup)
Jim Furyk (2015 Presidents Cup)
Tiger Woods (2018 Ryder Cup; 2019 Presidents Cup)
Henrik Stenson (2016, 2018 Ryder Cup)
Ian Poulter (2018, 2021 Ryder Cup)
Lee Westwood (2016, 2021 Ryder Cup)

F-25. Winners of PGA Tour co-sponsored events, whose victories are considered official, in the last six calendar years (2020-2025) and during the current calendar year to the initiation of the 2026 U.S. Senior Open (Note: Blank entries will be filed by the USGA for those players who become exempt after close of entries):

Brian Gay
Stewart Cink

F-26. Winner of the 2025 R&A Senior Amateur Championship (Must be an amateur):

John Kennedy (a)

F-27. Winners of the U.S. Senior Open Championship 1980-2009:

Fred Funk

F-28. Special Exemptions as selected by the USGA. Must have filed an entry by March 25, 2026. Deadline for submission of request (March 25, 2026). Players must select a qualifying site at the time of entry:

TBD