FAR HILLS, N.J. (June 9, 2016) – The United States Golf Association today announced that it has accepted 2,791 entries for the 2016 U.S. Senior Open Championship, scheduled for Aug. 11-14 at Scioto Country Club, in Columbus, Ohio. Twelve past champions are among the 82 players who are currently fully exempt into the championship.

“The U.S. Senior Open is senior golf’s most coveted championship and the highest number of entries since 2009 is evidence of the interest,” said Stuart Francis, USGA Championship Committee chairman. “The USGA is excited to bring the U.S. Senior Open to Scioto Country Club and central Ohio for the first time since 1986 and we look forward to awarding the Francis D. Ouimet Memorial Trophy to the champion in August.”

The U.S. Senior Open is open to professional golfers and amateurs with a 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 across the United States between June 14 and July 11. There are qualifying sites in 25 states, including five in California and three in Florida. In addition, places in the 156-player field are reserved for eligible winners of official PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions events in the weeks remaining before the 2016 U.S. Senior Open.

The USGA accepted entries for the 37th U.S. Senior Open from golfers in 46 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 28 foreign countries. The record for entries was established in 2002, when 3,101 golfers applied to play.

This will be the fifth U.S. Senior Open in Ohio and the second at Scioto. In 1986, Dale Douglass led after every round in defeating Gary Player by one stroke to become the youngest Senior Open champion (50 years, 3 months, 24 days).

Scioto, which is celebrating its centennial, hosted the 1926 U.S. Open, won by Bob Jones, and is the club where 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus learned the game under the tutelage of longtime club professional Jack Grout. It also hosted the 1968 U.S. Amateur, won by Bruce Fleisher.

Jeff Maggert, the 2015 champion, and 11 other Senior Open champions are fully exempt from having to qualify for the championship. They are: Olin Browne (2011), Brad Bryant (2007), Roger Chapman (2012), Dave Eichelberger (1999), Bruce Fleisher (2001), Fred Funk (2009), Hale Irwin (1998, 2000), Bernhard Langer (2010), Colin Montgomerie (2014), Kenny Perry (2013) and Eduardo Romero (2008).

There are six U.S. Open champions among the 82 exempt players. They are: three-time champion Hale Irwin (1974, 1979, 1990), two-time champion Lee Janzen (1993, 1998), Tom Kite (1992), Larry Nelson (1983), Scott Simpson (1987) and Tom Watson (1982).

For the sixth consecutive year, only online entries were accepted, beginning on March 9. David Speicher, a 55-year-old amateur from Mascoutah, Ill., submitted his entry 49 seconds before the deadline of 5 p.m. EDT on June 8. Robert Palmer, a 50-year-old amateur from The Woodlands, Texas, was the first entrant.

More information about the U.S. Senior Open before, during and after the 2016 championship at Scioto Country Club can be found at www.usga.org.

The 82 golfers who are fully exempt into the 2016 U.S. Senior Open (as of June 8):

Michael Allen

Stephen Ames

Billy Andrade

Tommy Armour III

Woody Austin

Warren Bladon

Michael Bradley

a-Tom Brandes

Olin Browne

Bart Bryant

Brad Bryant

Mark Calcavecchia

Jim Carter

Roger Chapman

Russ Cochran

John Cook

Fred Couples

John Daly

Marco Dawson

Stephen Dodd

Scott Dunlap

Joe Durant

Dave Eichelberger

Bob Estes

Bruce Fleisher

Peter Fowler

David Frost

Fred Funk

Philip Golding

Paul Goydos

Jay Haas

Todd Hamilton

Scott Hoch

John Huston

Kohki Idoki

Hale Irwin

Lee Janzen

Miguel Angel Jimenez

Tom Kite

Barry Lane

Bernhard Langer

Tom Lehman

Steve Lowery

a-Chip Lutz

Jeff Maggert

Gordon Manson

Billy Mayfair

Scott McCarron

a-Michael McCoy

Rocco Mediate

Eric Meeks

Larry Mize

Colin Montgomerie

Gil Morgan

Kiyoshi Murota

Larry Nelson

Mark O’Meara

Jesper Parnevik

Tom Pernice Jr.

Kenny Perry

Loren Roberts

Eduardo Romero

Takeshi Sakiyama

Gene Sauers

Wes Short Jr.

Scott Simpson

Joey Sindelar

Vijay Singh

Jeff Sluman

Jerry Smith

Craig Stadler

Kevin Sutherland

Esteban Toledo

Kirk Triplett

Bob Tway

Scott Verplank

Grant Waite

Duffy Waldorf

Tom Watson

Paul Wesselingh

Mark Wiebe

Ian Woosnam