11 past champions scheduled to play at Indianwood Golf & Country Club
Far Hills, N.J. (May 24) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced that 2,479 golfers have entered to play in the 2012 U.S. Senior Open Championship at Indianwood Golf and Country Club in Lake Orion, Mich. Eleven past champions are among the 75 players who are currently fully exempt into the field for the championship.
“The U.S. Senior Open is considered the world’s premier championship for men’s senior golfers,” said USGA Vice President and Championship Committee Chairman Thomas J. O’Toole Jr. “The Francis D. Ouimet Memorial Trophy is coveted by the players and that is evidenced by the number of entries. We look forward to identifying the champion at Indianwood Golf & Country Club this July.”
The U.S. Senior Open will be held at Indianwood Golf and Country Club on July 12-15. The championship is open to professional golfers and amateurs with a USGA Handicap Index® not exceeding 3.4 who are 50 years of age at the start of championship play.
Sectional qualifying will be played over 18 holes at 34 sites in the United States, ranging from Massachusetts to Hawaii, and will take place between June 14-28. In addition, places in the 156-player field are reserved for winners of official PGA Champions Tour events in the weeks remaining before the start of the 2012 U.S. Senior Open.
The USGA received entries for the 33rd U.S. Senior Open from golfers in 49 states and the District of Columbia. A total of 80 applicants listed foreign addresses.
Olin Browne, the 2011 champion, and 10 other past champions are fully exempt from having to qualify for the championship. They are: Brad Bryant (2007), Allen Doyle (2005, 2006), Dave Eichelberger (1999), Bruce Fleisher (2001), Fred Funk (2009), Hale Irwin (1998, 2000), Peter Jacobsen (2004), Bernhard Langer (2010), Graham Marsh (1997) and Eduardo Romero (2008).
For the second consecutive year, only online entries were accepted. David Horstman, a 52-year-old professional from Adrian, Mich., submitted his entry just 19 seconds before the deadline of 5 p.m. EDT on May 23. Scott Wirth, a 49-year-old amateur (who will turn 50 on June 12) from Grand Blanc, Mich., was the first entrant on March 5.
More information about the U.S. Senior Open before, during and after the 2012 championship at Indianwood Golf & Country Club can be found at www.usga.org.
A list of the 75 golfers who are fully exempt into the 2012 U.S. Senior Open follows (as of May 23):
Michael Allen
Tommy Armour III
Chip Beck
Jay Don Blake
Olin Browne
Brad Bryant
Mark Calcavecchia
Russ Cochran
John Cook
Fred Couples
Allen Doyle
David Eger
Dave Eichelberger
Brad Faxon
Bruce Fleisher
Dan Forsman
Peter Fowler
David Frost
Fred Funk
Bob Gilder
Mike Goodes
Damon Green
Jay Haas
Gary Hallberg
John Huston
Hale Irwin
a-Tim Jackson
Peter Jacobsen
Steve Jones
Jong-Duck Kim
Tom Kite
Barry Lane
Bernhard Langer
a-Louis Lee
Tom Lehman
a-Randal Lewis
Steve Lowery
Chien Soon Lu
Graham Marsh
Larry Mize
Gil Morgan
Kiyoshi Murota
Larry Nelson
Andrew Oldcorn
Mark O’Meara
Jerry Pate
Steve Pate
Corey Pavin
Tom Pernice Jr.
Kenny Perry
a-Philip Pleat
Nick Price
Tom Purtzer
Mike Reid
Loren Roberts
Eduardo Romero
Jeff Roth
Ted Schulz
Peter Senior
Scott Simpson
Joey Sindelar
Jeff Sluman
Rod Spittle
Craig Stadler
Hal Sutton
Jim Thorpe
Kirk Triplett
Bob Tway
Bruce Vaughn
Denis Watson
Tom Watson
D.A. Weibring
Mark Wiebe
Gary Wolstenholme
Fuzzy Zoeller
a-amateur
About the USGA
The USGA conducts the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open, as well as 10 national amateur championships, two state team championships and international matches. Together with The R&A, the USGA governs the game worldwide, jointly administering the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, Equipment Standards and World Amateur Golf Rankings. The USGA’s working jurisdiction comprises the United States, its territories and Mexico.
The USGA is a global leader in the development and support of sustainable golf course management practices. It serves as a primary steward for the game’s history and funds an ongoing “For the Good of the Game” charitable giving program. Additionally, the USGA’s Course Rating and Handicap systems are used on six continents in more than 50 countries.
For more information about the USGA, visit www.usga.org.
Contact:
Pete Kowalski, USGA Communications
pkowalski@usga.org
908-234-2300 x1322
Brian DePasquale, USGA Communications
bdepasquale@usga.org
908-234-2300 x1292
