Editing U.S. Senior Open (section)

{{Short description|One of the five major championships in senior golf}}
{{Infobox golf tournament
| name             = U.S. Senior Open
| image            = 2020 U.S. Senior Open logo.png
| image_size       = 240
| location         = 
| establishment    = 1980
| course           = 
| par              = 
| yardage          = 
| org              = [[United States Golf Association|USGA]]
| tour             = [[PGA Tour Champions]]<br>[[European Senior Tour]]
| format           = [[Stroke play]]
| purse            = {{currency|4,000,000|USD}}
| month_played     = June/July
| aggregate        = 261 [[Steve Stricker]] (2019)
| to-par           = −20 [[Fred Funk]] (2009)
| current_champion = {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Richard Bland (golfer)|Richard Bland]]
| map              = 
| map_label        = 
| map_caption      = 
| map_relief       = 
| map_label_position = 
| map_size         = 
| coordinates      = 
}} 
The '''U.S. Senior Open''' is one of the five [[Senior major golf championships|major championships]] in <!--men's--> senior golf, introduced {{Time ago|1980}} in [[1980 Senior PGA Tour|1980]].<ref name=devic80>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UbYsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PxMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5212%2C6732189 |newspaper=Wilmington Morning Star |location=North Carolina |agency=Associated Press |title=De Vicenzo cops Senior Open |date=June 30, 1980 |page=7B }}</ref> It is administered by the [[United States Golf Association]] (USGA) and is recognized as a major championship by both the [[PGA Tour Champions]] and the [[European Senior Tour]]. The lower age limit was 55 in 1980, but it was lowered to 50 for the second edition in [[1981 Senior PGA Tour|1981]],<ref name=nteleg>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DqorAAAAIBAJ&sjid=K_0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3841%2C1443625 |newspaper=Nashua Telegraph |location=New Hampshire |agency=Associated Press |title=Seniors tee it up in the US Senior Open |date=July 8, 1981 |page=24 }}</ref> which is the standard limit for men's senior professional golf tournaments. By definition, the event is open to amateurs, but has been dominated by [[professional golfer|professional]]s; through 2022, all editions have been won by pros. Like other USGA championships, it has been played on many courses throughout the United States.

[[Bernhard Langer]] became the oldest U.S. Senior Open Champion in [[2023 PGA Tour Champions season|2023]], winning at the age of 65 years 10 months.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/golf/2023/07/02/bernhard-langer-us-senior-open-sentryworld/e03ccbf2-191b-11ee-be41-a036f4b098ec_story.html |newspaper=Washington Post |agency=Associated Press |title=65-year-old Bernhard Langer wins the US Senior Open to break the Champions' victory record |date=July 2, 2023 |access-date=July 2, 2023}}</ref>

The total purse was the highest of any senior tour event until the [[Posco E&C Songdo Championship]] in [[South Korea]], a Champions Tour event in [[2010 Champions Tour|2010]] and [[2011 Champions Tour|2011]] with a [[United States dollar|$]]3 million purse, but had a lower winner's share ($450,000). The U.S. Senior Open is again the highest purse on the [[PGA Tour Champions]]; in 2016 it was $3.75 million, and champion [[Gene Sauers]] earned $675,000. The purse in 2017 is anticipated to be $4 million, yielding a winner's share of $720,000.

Like other senior majors, players must walk the course unless they receive a medical exemption to use a cart. Winners gain entry into the following year's [[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]].

The playoff format was modified for 2018, reduced from three to two aggregate holes, followed by [[Sudden death (sport)#Golf|sudden death]].<ref name=abandn18>{{cite news |url=http://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/22586395/us-open-abandons-18-holes-2-hole-playoff |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |title=U.S. Open abandons 18 holes for 2-hole playoff |date=February 26, 2018 |access-date=June 7, 2018}}</ref> The three-hole aggregate playoff was used in 2002 and 2014; the final 18-hole playoff at the U.S. Senior Open was in 1991, won by {{nowrap|[[Jack Nicklaus]].<ref name=nsfbrdrg>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AToxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lm4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=1965%2C7054408 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |agency=Associated Press |title=Nicklaus' 65 beats Rodriguez |date=July 30, 1991 |page=23}}</ref>}}