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CHAMPIONS - Senior British Open Championship Preview
From The Sports Network
| DATES: Thursday, July 26th through Sunday, July 29th |
| SITE: Turnberry (Ailsa Course), Turnberry, Scotland |
| COURSE ARCHITECT: Mackenzie Ross (1946) |
| Hole-By-Hole: | 1 - Par 4 354 Yds | 10 - Par 4 457 Yds | |
| 2 - Par 4 428 Yds | 11 - Par 3 175 Yds | |
| 3 - Par 4 461 Yds | 12 - Par 4 447 Yds | |
| 4 - Par 3 168 Yds | 13 - Par 4 410 Yds | |
| 5 - Par 4 479 Yds | 14 - Par 4 454 Yds | |
| 6 - Par 3 231 Yds | 15 - Par 3 206 Yds | |
| 7 - Par 5 538 Yds | 16 - Par 4 422 Yds | |
| 8 - Par 4 454 Yds | 17 - Par 5 533 Yds | |
| 9 - Par 4 458 Yds | 18 - Par 4 430 Yds | |
| ------------- | ------------- | |
| 35 3,571 Yds | 35 3,534 Yds | |
| Annual: | 26th |
| Television: | ESPN2 - Thursday/Friday -- 12-2 p.m. (et), |
| | ESPN - Saturday -- 12-2 p.m. (et), |
| | ESPN2 - Sunday - 12-2 p.m. (et) |
| Defending Champion: | Russ Cochran (Not defending) |
| Runner-Up: | Mark Calcavecchia |
| Tournament Record: | 263 (Tom Watson, Carl Mason, 2003) |
| 54-Hole Record: | 196 (Carl Mason, 2003) |
| 36-Hole Record: | 129 (Fred Funk, 2009) |
| Course Record: | 62 (Jim Colbert, 2003) |
| Total Purse: | $2,000,000 |
| Shares: | 1st Place - $315,600; 2nd Place - $210,500; 3rd Place - $118,000 |
| 2011 Finish |
| Player | Score | Player | Score |
| Russ Cochran | 276 | David Frost | 281 |
| Mark Calcavecchia | 278 | Peter Fowler | 282 |
| Corey Pavin | 279 | Fred Funk | 282 |
| Tom Watson | 279 | Mike Goodes | 282 |
| Barry Lane | 280 | Lee Rinker | 282 |
| Past Senior British Open Winners |
| Year | Winner (Score) -- Runners-Up |
| 2011 | Russ Cochran (276) -- Mark Calcavecchia |
| (Walton Heath Golf Club) |
| 2010 | Bernhard Langer (279) -- Corey Pavin |
| (Carnoustie Golf Links) |
| 2009 | *Loren Roberts (268) -- Fred Funk, Mark McNulty |
| (Sunningdale Golf Club) |
| 2008 | *Bruce Vaughan (278) -- John Cook |
| (Royal Troon Golf Club) |
| 2007 | Tom Watson (284) -- Mark O'Meara, Stewart Ginn |
| (Muirfield Golf Club) |
| 2006 | *Loren Roberts (274) -- Eduardo Romero |
| (Turnberry Resort - Ailsa Course) |
| 2005 | *Tom Watson (280) -- Des Smyth |
| (Royal Aberdeen Golf Club - Balgownie Links) |
| 2004 | Pete Oakley (284) -- Tom Kite, Eduardo Romero |
| (Royal Portrush Golf Club - Dunluce Links) |
| 2003 | *Tom Watson (263) -- Carl Mason |
| (Turnberry Resort - Ailsa Course) |
| 2002 | Noboru Sugai (281) -- John Irwin |
| (Royal County Down Golf Club) |
| 2001 | *Ian Stanley (278) -- Bob Charles |
| (Royal County Down Golf Club) |
| 2000 | Christy O'Connor, Jr. (275) -- John Bland |
| (Royal County Down Golf Club) |
| 1999 | Christy O'Connor, Jr. (282) -- John Bland |
| (Royal Portrush Golf Club) |
| 1998 | *Brian Huggett (283) -- Eddie Polland |
| (Royal Portrush Golf Club) |
| 1997 | *Gary Player (278) -- John Bland |
| (Royal Portrush Golf Club) |
| 1996 | Brian Barnes (277) -- Bob Charles, David Oakley |
| (Royal Portrush Golf Club) |
| 1995 | *Brian Barnes (281) -- Bob Murphy |
| (Royal Portrush Golf Club) |
| 1994 | Tom Wargo (280) -- Bob Charles, Doug Dalziel |
| (Royal Lytham & St. Annes) |
| 1993 | Bob Charles (291) -- Gary Player, Tommy Horton |
| (Royal Lytham & St. Annes) |
| 1992 | John Fourie (282) -- Bob Charles, Neil Coles |
| (Royal Lytham & St. Annes) |
| 1991 | Bobby Verwey (285) -- Bob Charles, Tommy Horton |
| (Royal Lytham & St. Annes) |
| 1990 | Gary Player (280) -- Deane Beman, Brian Waites |
| (Turnberry Resort - Ailsa Course) |
| 1989 | Bob Charles (269) -- Billy Casper |
| (Turnberry Resort - Ailsa Course) |
| 1988 | Gary Player (272) -- Billy Casper |
| (Turnberry Resort - Ailsa Course) |
| 1987 | Neil Coles (279) -- Bob Charles |
| (Turnberry Resort - Ailsa Course) |
| Note:Formerly called Volvo Senior British Open (1988-90). |
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| Top Contenders in the Field |
| Player | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | |
| Mark Calcavecchia | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-14 | 2nd | |
| Corey Pavin | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 2nd | T-3 | |
| Tom Watson | Won | T-22 | Won | T-23 | Won | T-5 | T-8 | T-24 | T-3 | |
| Fred Funk | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-2 | T-3 | T-7 | |
| John Cook | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 2nd | mc | T-11 | 11th | |
| Bernhard Langer | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 4th | 4th | Won | T-12 | |
| Bob Gilder | mc | T-33 | T-16 | mc | T-51 | mc | T-43 | T-50 | T-16 | |
| Tom Lehman | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-58 | T-11 | T-21 | |
| Larry Mize | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-6 | T-14 | T-21 | |
| Jay Haas | --- | --- | --- | T-6 | T-4 | --- | T-19 | T-8 | T-28 | |
| Jeff Sluman | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-21 | 24th | T-11 | T-28 | |
| Michael Allen | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-13 | T-30 | T-28 | |
| Peter Senior | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-3 | T-31 | |
| Eduardo Romero | --- | T-2 | T-9 | 2nd | T-4 | 3rd | T-38 | T-18 | T-49 | |
| Roger Chapman | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | wd | mc | T-58 | |
| Mark James | --- | 4th | T-12 | T-15 | T-61 | T-16 | T-43 | T-20 | T-72 | |
| Bruce Vaughan | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-34 | Won | T-8 | T-20 | mc | |
| Pete Oakley | --- | Won | mc | mc | T-48 | T-68 | mc | mc | mc | |
| Loren Roberts | --- | --- | 5th | Won | T-4 | --- | Won | T-14 | --- | |
| Fred Couples | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | |
| Sports Network Selections |
| Pick to Win - Corey Pavin |
| Darkhorse - Peter Senior |
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| Last week's Pick to Win (Tom Lehman) - Finished tied for 2nd |
| Last week's Darkhorse (Brad Bryant) - Finished tied for 28th |
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| NOTES: |
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The Senior British Open Championship returns to Scotland this week at Turnberry
for the 26th edition of this somewhat storied tournament. Now in it's 10th year
as an official Champions Tour event and final major of 2012, the Senior British
boasts quite a winner's list with Gary Player, Bob Charles, Brian Barnes, Tom
Watson and Bernhard Langer. This week, Watson will try to become the first
player to win this event four times. He and Player are the only players who
have won three times.
Roger Chapman won the Senior PGA Championship in May and the U.S. Senior Open
two weeks ago. He will be trying to join Jack Nicklaus as the only players to
win three majors on the Champions Tour in the same season. Nicklaus
accomplished the feat in 1991.
Last year, Russ Cochran fired two rounds of 67 on the weekend to win by two
strokes over Mark Calcavecchia. Cochran finished at 12-under-par 276. It was
his third Champions Tour title, but first in a major.
Cochran will not be on hand to defend his title this week, as he is unable to
play due to a back injury. Calcavecchia finished tied for ninth last week at
the British Open Championship.
In 2010, Langer held at least a share of the lead after every round as he
defeated Corey Pavin by one stroke. Langer shot rounds of 67-71-69-72 to
finish at five-under-par 279. The German won a pair of Masters titles on the
PGA Tour, but this was his first major championship crown on the Champions
Tour.
In 2009, Loren Roberts hit the fairway and green on three consecutive playoff
holes and won when he made par on the third, knocking off Mark McNulty for his
fourth win at a senior major. Roberts also won this event in 2006.
Bruce Vaughan drained a 20-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole in 2008
to beat fellow American John Cook. The duo finished regulation at 6-under-par
278. Vaughan captured his first Champions Tour title and first major
championship. Vaughn's only other PGA-sanctioned wins came on the Nationwide
Tour in 1994, when he won twice.
In 2007, Tom Watson won his third Senior British Open in five years, the only
survivor to par at tough Muirfield after four windy days on the Scottish
coast. Watson closed with a two-over 73 in the final round, making a double-
bogey at the 18th hole, but still beating Mark O'Meara and Stewart Ginn by a
shot. He met an old foe in Muirfield, the site of his 1980 British Open
victory on the PGA Tour. The weather cooperated for Watson down the stretch,
with clouds yielding to blue skies as he closed out his fifth of six majors on
the Champions Tour. Watson now owns eight British Open titles among his 14
career majors on the PGA and Champions Tours. He ended the event at even-par
284.
Watson parred the third playoff hole in 2005 to defeat Des Smyth. It was
Watson's first win since losing his longtime caddie Bruce Edwards, who
succumbed to ALS in April, 2004.
When Watson won in 2003 at Turnberry, he joined Bob Charles as the only player
to win both a Senior British Open and British Open at the same venue. Watson
captured the 1977 British Open at Turnberry. Charles' one-stroke victory over
Player in the 1993 Senior British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes came 30
years after his playoff victory over Phil Rodgers in the British Open there.
The New Zealander's winning score of three-over par 291 at Royal Lytham was
the highest in tournament history. Charles, a two-time winner of this event,
has been a runner-up five times.
In 2004, long shot Pete Oakley, who qualified for the tournament two days
before it started, closed with a two-under 70 in the final round to win his
first Champions Tour title by one stroke. He finished with a winning score of
four-under-par 284 in just his second trip to this event. It was his 18th
appearance in a major championship overall. During the championship,
Australian Graham Marsh made a pair of aces on the same hole, a first in
Champions Tour history. Marsh aced the 11th hole in the first round and again
in the third round.
When Player won his third title in 1997 at age 61, he became the oldest player
ever to win this event. Player's brother-in-law, Bobby Verwey, won in 1991 at
50 years, five months and 23 days, the youngest winner in championship
history. In 1990, Player scored the biggest come-from-behind victory in
tournament history at Turnberry. Despite posting a five-over 75 on the final
day, Player rallied from five strokes down to edge Deane Beman and Brian
Waites by a stroke.
The Champions Tour moves back to the United States next week for the 3M
Championship in Minnesota, where Jay Haas will defend his title at TPC Twin
Cities.
07/24 18:09:45 ET
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As of July 24, 2012, at 06:09 PM ET
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