It's the Senior Open this week at Royal Porthcawl...details

 R&A : Senior Open 

Legends of the game descend on Wales this week for the Senior Open presented by Rolex as Royal Porthcawl plays host.

Darren Clarke makes the first defense of a Senior Major Championship this week as he looks to become the first player to successfully retain his title since Christy O’Connor Jnr in 2000.

A birdie on a weather-affected final day at Gleneagles’ King’s Course last year helped the Northern Irishman to a one-shot victory over Pádraig Harrington.

Following a near two-hour delay in Scotland midway through the back nine, Clarke withstood a late charge by fellow Open winner Harrington as a two-putt birdie at the 18th sealed a dramatic victory in the fading light.

In claiming his victory, Clarke became just the fourth player to win both The Open Championship and The Senior Open, emulating Bob Charles, Gary Player and Tom Watson.

It was the 14-time DP World Tour winner’s fourth and most recent title since turning 50 and has stated that Royal Porthcawl will be a course “that will test every facet of your game”.

The Senior Open is returning to Royal Porthcawl for the first time in six years this week as the venue stages the event for the third time.

A year after Gleneagles hosted Europe’s only Senior Major Championship, the 36th edition visits South Wales again for what promises to be another intriguing week of outstanding golf.

Many tournaments, both amateur and professional, graced the venue which was founded in 1891 as a nine-hole course before a further nine holes were added four years later.

In 1909, the club was bestowed the honour of using the prefix Royal – only the second club in Wales to be granted the privilege after Royal St David’s.

It first hosted a Senior Major in 2014, when Bernhard Langer won by a remarkable 13 shots before the event returned to Royal Porthcawl for a second time in 2017 when the German won once again.

Joining defending champion Clarke are a host of iconic figures from the game, including fellow stars from European golf such as José María Olazábal, Colin Montgomerie, Ian Woosnam, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Langer and Harrington.

There are also a host of leading global figures who are in pursuit of a Senior Major title, including Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, John Daly and Michael Campbell among others.

As a past Masters Champion Canada's Mike Weir is listed in the field..

Two-time Tour winner Adilson Da Silva is the leading player on the 2023 Order of Merit, with fellow champions for this season’s schedule Peter Baker and Richard Green among those also seeking further success.

Stephen Dodd and Paul Broadhurst – both past champions in the past decade – also take their place in the field.

Steve Stricker, who has won three of the four Senior Majors so far this year, is not playing this week but Langer is in action as he looks to claim his 13th Major Championship in the over-50 ranks having claimed the U.S. Senior Open at the start of the month.

europeantour.com

Bryan Angus (edit)