A total of 28 Major Champions, with a remarkable haul of 67 Major titles between them, will head a world class field for the 30th anniversary of the Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex at Carnoustie nest week.
Legends of the game from all over the world will assemble in Scotland, the Home of Golf, from July 21-24 to compete for one of the most coveted titles in senior golf.
The exempt field is packed with global champions and Ryder Cup players who are set to light up the famous Carnoustie’s links as the culmination of three glorious weeks of international golf in Scotland.
The statistics back up the claim for the 2016 field to be among the best assembled for the Senior Open Championship since the event was inaugurated at Turnberry in 1987.
There are 15 winners of regular Majors taking part with 27 wins between them; 19 Senior Major winners with 40 victories between them. Of that elite group six players – Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer, Tom Lehman, Mark O’Meara, Craig Stadler and Tom Watson – have won Majors at both levels.
American Marco Dawson, who captured the title in dramatic fashion at Sunningdale last year, defends the championship alongside six other former winners in Couples, Russ Cochran, Langer, Noburu Sugai, Watson and Mark Wiebe.
No fewer than 26 Ryder Cup players from Europe and the United States are in the field, which also reunites seven European Senior Tour Number Ones in Roger Chapman, Peter Fowler, Carl Mason, Colin Montgomerie, Sam Torrance, Paul Wesselingh and Ian Woosnam.
In total, there are 47 players competing at Carnoustie who won on the European Tour, accumulating 302 victories along the way, and 36 European Senior Tour champions.
Langer returns to Carnoustie in the knowledge that he already has a win under his belt over the challenging links, having held off Corey Pavin to win the Senior Open Championship on its last visit in 2010. Watson and Woosnam can also boast titles there, the American having won The Open on his debut in 1975 and the Welshman having claimed the Scottish Open title in 1996.
Among the rookies set to make their debut in the Senior Open are two former Open Champions in John Daly and Todd Hamilton, who will play at Royal Troon in The Open the previous week alongside Calcavecchia, Dawson, Lehman, Sandy Lyle, O’Meara and Montgomerie, who qualified to compete over his home course. Also returning to competition is Jean Van de Velde, who came so close to success in The Open at Carnoustie in 1999 and who turned 50 in May.
Season tickets cost £80 with Any One Day tickets costing £30. Under 16s go free when accompanied by an adult and car parking is also free of charge.
Tickets are available now by visiting: http://tickets.europeantour.com/event/the-senior-open-championship/carnoustie-golf-links/899860/ or by visiting: http://tickets.europeantour.com or by calling +44 (0)1344 850550.
Hospitality packages are also available click here:
For more information on the Scottish Government and its partners: www.scotland.org | | www.visitscotland.com | www.scotent.co.uk | www.sdi.co.uk | www.scottishgolf.org | www.clubgolfscotland.com
European Tour www.europeantour.com