In 1988 Neil Coles won the inaugural Senior Open presented by Rolex at Turnberry and from that moment the greats of the game have battled it out for one of the most sort after senior trophies. The Claret jug has lured legends from the PGA Champions Tour across the Atlantic to take on the best of Europe and the rest of the world for the past 36 years.
Despite the vast number of Major champions that have tried to win the Senior Open only Gary Player; Tom Watson; Sir Bob Charles and last year Darren Clarke have been able to lift The Open and The Senior Open Championship Claret jugs.
Gary Player
Considered one of the greatest golfers of all time, Gary Player is one of only five players to complete the Grand Slam and remains the only non-American to achieve the feat. The South African carried his envious form onto the senior circuit, winning nine Senior Majors – three PGA Seniors Championships, two US Senior Opens, three Senior British Opens and the Senior Players Championship title.
Arnold Palmer
Renowned as one of the game’s greatest and most charismatic players, Arnold Palmer claimed seven Major Championship titles throughout his career at the Masters Tournament, U.S. Open and Open Championship. The American would go on to capture five Senior Majors, with the last of those coming in 1985 when he successfully defended the Senior Players Championship.
Jack Nicklaus
Widely known as the greatest player ever to play the game, Jack Nicklaus won an astonishing 18 Major Championships throughout his career and completed the Grand Slam on three occasions, having claimed six Green Jackets, four PGA Championships, four U.S. Opens and three Claret Jugs. The American was almost as deadly on the senior circuit, picking up nine Major titles in a six-year spell between 1990 and 1996.
Tom Watson
One of the most enduring professionals of all time, Tom Watson was a joy to watch as he plotted his way around the course with his aggressive, fast-paced style. That helped him on his way to picking up eight Major Championship titles, including five at The Open, before going on to claim another six Senior Majors. The second of those came at the Senior British Open, where he became just the third player win both the Claret Jug and the senior equivalent.
Ian Woosnam
One fifth of the “Big Five” generation of European golfers, Ian Woosnam enjoyed a memorable career, winning 29 times on the now DP World Tour and helping Team Europe become competitive again in the Ryder Cup. But the jewel in the crown came in 1991 when he defeated José María Olazábal by one stroke to win the Masters Tournament, becoming the first Welshman to win a Major Championship.
Bernhard Langer
One of the world’s leading gofers in the 80s and 90s, Bernhard Langer was the first ever player to be ranked No.1 in Official World Golf Ranking following its creation in 1986. The year before the German had become the first man from his nation to win the Masters Tournament, before repeating the feat eight years later. Since then, Langer has gone on to become the greatest senior player in history, winning a barely believable 46 titles, including 12 Senior Major Championships.
Pádraig Harrington
Pádraig Harrington has taken to the senior circuit like a duck to water, but it’s no surprise given his wealth of knowledge of the game and the distance he is now gaining off the tee. That helped him win his first Senior Major Championship last year at the U.S. Senior Open, which came 14 years after he successfully defended The Open Championship, before he captured a third Major title at the PGA Championship.
Jim Furyk
Jim Furyk enjoyed a stellar career on the PGA Tour, winning 17 times and topping the FedExCup and holding the record for the lowest score ever posted, with an astonishing 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship. But his crowning moment came in 2003 when he secured the U.S. Open trophy courtesy of a three-stroke triumph over Stephen Leaney at Olympia Fields. Eighteen years later, the American won the U.S. Senior Open, overcoming Reteif Goosen and Mike Weir.
