Tag: Senior Open Championship

K.J. Choi claims first senior major victory at 2024 Senior Open Championship

For Choi, it’s his second PGA Tour Champions victory and first since 2021.

It was a special Sunday for K.J. Choi in Scotland.

The 54-year-old from South Korea won his first senior major championship at Carnoustie, going low on the back nine to pull away and win the 2024 Senior Open Championship by two shots over Richard Green.

“Very historical for Korean player to win this,” he said.

Choi, who led by one entering the final round, shot 4-under 32 on the back nine to finish at 10 under for the week.

For Choi, it’s his second PGA Tour Champions victory and first since 2021. He was the only player to shoot under par all four rounds in the Senior Open Championship, and only 11 players finished under par for the week.

“I really want it, champion, because my dream come true,” he said. “For player from Korea, is always Open watch on TV.

“This event is historical in Korea, first-time champion in Senior Open. Very proud this week.”

Paul Broadhurst placed third at 6 under while Stephen Ames came in fourth at 3 under. Green birdied the final hole while Choi made bogey, but with a four-shot lead heading to the final hole, the lead was safe.

In 2007, Choi placed T-8 at the 2007 Open Championship at Carnoustie.

Angel Cabrera still lurking at Carnoustie as K.J. Choi, Richard Green lead Senior Open

“So my caddie say, okay, tomorrow, no mistake.”

Angel Cabrera’s return to competitive golf has gone swimmingly thus far.

Cabrera, 54, was in prison in Brazil and Argentina for more than two years for domestic violence and other charges. In May, he was granted a visa. In June, he made his PGA Tour Champions return in Wisconsin. Two weeks after that, he won a match play event in England, his first professional victory after four years away from the game.

But now, he’s contending at a major, as his 70 in Saturday’s third round of the Senior Open Championship left him just five shots behind K.J. Choi heading into the final round of play.

Cabrera struggled a bit on the front with a pair of bogeys and a single birdie, but after the turn he caught fire, posting a 33 on the back to move into fifth place at 3 under for the tournament. Choi sits at 8 under while Richard Green (7 under), Arjun Atwal (6 under) and Paul Broadhurst (4 under) are ahead of him.

As a past winner on the PGA Tour, Cabrera is a PGA Tour Champions member, but his entry into a field is dependent upon how the field is filled, according to a spokesperson for PGA Tour Champions. As a major championship winner, he is eligible for both restricted and unrestricted sponsor exemptions, and there is no limit to the number of sponsor exemptions he can receive. He also is exempt to compete in an event qualifier as a past champion on the PGA Tour.

Meanwhile, Choi is in position to capture the first major of his illustrious career. The eight-time PGA Tour winner overcame a rough stretch on the back nine Saturday, but posted a birdie on the final hole to regain the lead.

“Today, a couple shot mistake and then more worse than yesterday, last two days,” Choi said. “So my caddie say, okay, tomorrow, no mistake. So we make birdie. Make try on the irons. It’s a good sign today and happy with round.”

Danish star says it’s ‘humbling’ being named honorary life member of DP World Tour before Senior Open

The star is scheduled to be a vice captain for the European Ryder Cup team next year at Bethpage.

Yes, Thomas Bjorn was pleased with a 71 on Thursday, one that put him just a few shots off the lead after the opening round of play at the Senior Open at Carnoustie.

But while Bjorn’s productivity in difficult conditions gave him reason to smile, the recent honors bestowed on him are what truly had him appreciative.

Bjorn, Paul McGinley and Miguel Angel Jimenez were all granted honorary life memberships to the DP World Tour on Wednesday, raising the total number of golfers with that status to 62.

“Honorary life membership is recognition for those who have contributed so much to the tour both inside and outside the ropes,” said Guy Kinnings, the DP World Tour’s CEO. “These three players have given everything to the tour and have shaped the tour with both their play and their personalities.”

Bjorn, who has 15 European Tour wins to his credit, is scheduled to be a vice captain for the European Ryder Cup team next year at Bethpage. He said the honor is one that has hit him hard.

“It’s humbling in a lot of ways. You know, when you set out on a career, you have your hopes and dreams about where it’s going to go, and mind far exceeded anything I’ve ever dreamed of in my career, and I’ve been around for a long time. I love that tour, you know, what was The European Tour, what is the DP World Tour,” he said. “I love everything about that tour, and it’s given me a life. It’s given me an unbelievable way of seeing the world and doing things, and you know, I’ve dedicated a lot of time to the tour in my time, as well, and to get that recognition from your board and from people around the tour is humbling, and it’s something I’ll treasure a lot.

“I think when you know you’re coming to the end of your career in some way, it’s nice that you can look back at things and say, well, you know, I did a lot, or I dedicated a lot to the tour; and it’s not in my world — it’s not for my achievements on the golf course. It’s a lot more for the things I’ve done off the golf course and for the tour.

“So yeah, humbling experience but happy.”

Thomas Bjorn of Denmark, pictured here on April 9, 2024, is named as Luke Donald’s second European 2025 Ryder Cup Vice Captain at IMG Studios on April 16, 2024, in London, England. (Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images)

On Thursday, Bjorn posted a pair of bogeys and a birdie on the front but played clean on the way home en route to a 34 that put his three shots behind leader Stephen Ames. Since Bjorn had thumb issues early in the week and needed an injection to play — skipping a practice round — Thursday’s score only served as a cherry on top of Wednesday’s announcement.

“Got out there and just tried to make pars to be honest with you, just get myself around the golf course. It’s better than it’s been, so that’s a lovely round to have in the bank, really,” he said.

“For me, where I was yesterday, could only go around wrong if I played. It was nice to get through it. So try and build from here and get a little bit better.”

Darren Clarke birdies 72nd hole to win Senior Open Championship at Gleneagles Hotel Kings Course

Clarke needed a birdie on the 72nd hole to win by just one shot.

Darren Clarke stalked the upcoming shot, trying to decide what exactly he wanted to do.

The Northern Irishmen was sitting just off the green on his 72nd hole of the Senior Open Championship at Gleneagles Hotel Kings Course in Auchterarder, Scotland. Clarke and Padraig Harrington were tied on the leaderboard, but if Clarke found a way to birdie the final hole, he would be victorious.

Heavy rains caused disruptions to the final round, so Clarke had to decide whether to putt from the fairway short of the par-5 18th or to chip it. He went with a putter, and it was a great choice.

Clarke’s third shot from about 30 yards away settled a couple feet from the hole, and he was able to knock in the short putt for birdie, clinching his first senior major title. It’s his fourth PGA Tour Champions victory, and he becomes the fourth men’s golfer in history to win both the Open Championship (2011 at Royal St. George’s) and Senior Open, joining Gary Player, Bob Charles and Tom Watson.

“It was tough right there,” Clarke said. “You know, I’ve made no secret of the fact that I wanted to win this more than anything. From when I turned 50, this is the one you wanted to win, so I could set it beside the other one. Pretty good feeling right now.”

“To join that illustrious company is very special.”

Clarke made only two birdies during his final round of 1-under 69, but it was enough. He birdied seven of the eight par 5s he played all week, his only blemish Sunday coming on the 10th hole. He fought back with a birdie at the 12th hole and then grinded out pars until his birdie putt on the final hole.

Even with the weather, Clarke was always confident.

“Yeah, it’s what I grew up playing in,” Clarke said. “Don’t make it any easier, but you know at the start, it was a bit of a battle. Pars were almost a prisoner at the very start, and you’re trying to avoid making mistakes. And I was pretty much cruising until I made a terrible swing on No. 10, my second shot. All of a sudden, I turned an easy birdie into a bad bogey.

“So you know from there, keep my head down, hit some really good shots after that again. Kept giving myself chances but the putter was a little bit cold all week as you probably saw. I didn’t really hole anything of note this week but whenever I had to do it on 18 there, whenever I had to get one up close there, I managed to do it.”

After hitting his tee shot on the 14th hole, golfers were pulled off the course, and there was a delay of about two hours until players were allowed back on the course.

Harrington, who made six birdies on the back nine, was one of the first people to congratulate Clarke after the round.

Clarke, 53, finished the week at 10 under, shooting under par in all four rounds. Clarke, Harrington and Ernie Els, who finished in a six-way tie for third, were the only golfers to shoot under par in every round during the Senior Open Championship.

As for Clarke, he said he has options as to what he will drink out of the trophy come Sunday night.

“It will be good,” Clarke said.

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Photos: 2022 Senior Open Championship at Gleneagles Hotel Kings Course

Nothing like a little links golf in the rain.

During Saturday’s third round of the 2022 Senior Open Championship at Gleneagles Hotel Kings Course in Auchterarder, Scotland, the rain got heavier as the day went on.

The sound of rain thumping off umbrellas and sight of it dripping off caps were common, as the world’s top senior golfers meandered their way through the wet, cool conditions in the final senior men’s major championship of the year.

Playing golf in the rain may seem like fun on a Saturday afternoon with your friends, but it’s a lot different when there’s a major championship on the line.

Plenty of players are in contention as Sunday’s final round is right around the corner.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from the 2022 Senior Open Championship.

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Aside from a few slips, Darren Clarke is standing tall at Senior Open Championship

Darren Clarke didn’t stumble, but he did slip during Friday’s second round of the Senior Open Championship.

Darren Clarke didn’t stumble, but he did slip during Friday’s second round of the Senior Open Championship at Gleneagles Hotel Kings Course in Auchterader, Scotland — both figuratively and literally.

Clarke posted a pair of bogeys on the front nine, but rebounded with an impressive back and finished the day with a 67, good enough for the 36-hold lead at the event.

The Northern Ireland native sits at 8 under for the tournament, a shot ahead of Miguel Ángel Martín, two up on Scott Parel and three ahead of Stephen Ames.

“Around the front nine today, I was so-so. I slipped. My right foot slipped a couple of times,” Clarke said. “But apart from that, I played really nicely. I’m trying to hit a lot of fairways and give myself decent looks. All the way around the back nine, I kept hitting nice shots. And could have been a few better. But, you know, it’s the way it is.”

Clarke, who grew up playing links-style courses, felt right at home on the James Braid-designed masterpiece that opened in 1919.

“There’s a few flags that were out there today as well that you just cannot go after. You’ve got to hit away from those as well. So they’re a little bit linksy as well,” he said. “With the fairways being as good as they are, as tight as they are, you can really nip one. I got a little bit too much spin on the second shot into 17. But if you’re striking the ball, you can still spin it quite a bit.

“So it gives you opportunity. If you keep it in the fairway around here, you can score. But if you start missing the fairways, it’s going to be a struggle because you’re playing for fliers and the ball is releasing as much, you never know how far or short of the green or whatever. But the fact is so far I’ve done a decent job to get them on the fairways.”

Clarke is trying to add a Senior Open to his single major, the 2011 Open Championship, when he edged Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson at Royal St George’s Golf Club. He also hasn’t won on the PGA Tour Champions since last September’s Sanford International.

Although inclement weather is in the forecast for this weekend, Clarke said he feels comfortable in the soupy stuff.

“I grew up in it. It should be all right,” he said on Thursday. “But you know, I think Gleneagles does such a wonderful job with the golf course getting it ready, it would be a shame to get that much rain but a little bit of rain and wind doesn’t hurt anybody. You have to control the flight of your golf ball, especially around here on some of those tighter tee shots.

“You’ve got to shape it a little bit and try and control your trajectory a little bit, so hopefully we’ll be able to do that over the weekend.”

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Coronavirus pandemic: Senior Open Championship postponed

Due to concerns over COVID-19, the Senior Open Championship scheduled for July 23-26 has been postponed.

Bernhard Langer will have to wait to defend his title in the Senior Open Championship.

The R&A announced Tuesday the championship, scheduled from July 23-26 at Sunningdale Golf Club in England, has been postponed due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. A future date has not been selected for the Senior Open.

“We will continue to investigate alternative options to host the Senior Open later in the year if at all possible and will make an announcement in due course,” said executive director Johnnie Cole-Hamilton.

Last week, the R&A cancelled the Open Championship. Royal St. George’s in Sandwich, England, will still host the 2021 Open.

“Our priority is ensuring the health and safety of all players, spectators and sponsors, and it is therefore the right decision to postpone the event,” said Mark Aspland, the head of the European Senior Tour. “We will continue to work closely with the R&A, Rolex and other key stakeholders to reschedule the event at a later date when we have further clarity on the global situation.”

Langer’s win last year was his fourth in the championship.

As for other majors on the senior circuit, the U.S. Senior Open and the Senior PGA Championship were canceled. The Regions Tradition was reschedule from early May to Sept. 24-27. The Senior Players Championship to be played July 9-12 remains on the schedule.