PAR AND YARDAGE: Indianwood Golf & Country Club will be set up at 6,862 yards and will play to a par of 35-35–70. (Note: Yardages subject to change) 

HOLE BY HOLE: 

ARCHITECT: Designed by Wilfrid Reid and William Connellan, Indianwood Golf & Country Club opened for play in 1925.  Reid, who was elected to the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame in 1985 also designed The Olympic Club, the site of the 2012 U.S. Open.  Stan Aldridge purchased Indianwood in 1981 and hired Reid’s great grandson Bill Zmistowski for club renovations. 

WHO CAN ENTER: The championship is open to any professional and amateur golfer who is 50 years of age as of July 12 with a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 3.4. The deadline for entries is May 23.

SECTIONAL QUALIFYING: Sectional qualifying, played over 18 holes, will be held between June 18-26. The deadline for entries is May 23. 

CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD: The starting field of 156 golfers will be cut after 36 holes to the low 60 scorers and ties.

SCHEDULE OF PLAY: Eighteen holes of stroke play are scheduled each day from Thursday, July 12, through Sunday, July 15. In the case of a tie after 72 holes, a three-hole aggregate playoff will be held immediately after the conclusion of the fourth round on July 15.

TELEVISION SCHEDULE: ESPN2 and NBC will broadcast a combined 14 hours of live coverage of the 2012 U.S. Senior Open. ESPN coverage will also be available via ESPN3 and ESPN Mobile TV. Here is the schedule:

July 12: ESPN2, 3 p.m.-7 p.m. (EDT), First round
July 13: ESPN2, 3 p.m.-7 p.m. (EDT), Second round
July 14: NBC, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (EDT), Third round
July 14: NBC, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (EDT), Fourth round

2011 CHAMPION: Olin Browne, 52, sank a 28-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to post a three-stroke victory over Mark O’Meara, 54, at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. Browne finished at 15-under 269 to capture his first Champions Tour victory. He was the first wire-to-wire winner of the U.S. Senior Open Championship since Dale Douglass in 1986.

For details, visit: http://www.usga.org/ChampEventArticle.aspx?id=2147484142 

WHAT THE WINNER RECEIVES: Among the benefits enjoyed by the U.S. Senior Open champion is a 10-year exemption into the U.S. Senior Open or an exemption through age 65, whichever yields the higher number of exemptions. The champion also is exempt from qualifying for the 2013 U.S. Open.            

TICKETS: Tickets for the 2012 U.S. Senior Open Championship are available online at www.2012ussenioropen.com. Grounds tickets are $120 (good for the week with parking) and Upgrade tickets are $250 (good for the week and allow access to the Gene Sarazen Clubhouse).

HISTORY: This is the 33rd U.S. Senior Open Championship. The first U.S. Senior Open, played in 1980, was conducted for golfers 55 and older. The next year, the USGA lowered the age minimum to 50.

Miller Barber captured the first of his three Senior Open titles in 1982, later winning in 1984 and 1985. In its history, the U.S. Senior Open has had four two-time winners: Gary Player (1987-88); Jack Nicklaus (1991, 1993); Hale Irwin (1998, 2000); and Allen Doyle (2005, 2006). Doyle became the championship’s oldest winner in 2006 at the age of 58 years and 13 days.

Dale Douglass is the youngest champion, having won the championship on his first try, in 1986, at the age of 50 years, 3 months and 24 days.

IRON MAN: Dale Douglass made his 26th consecutive start in the U.S. Senior Open championship last year, breaking Arnold Palmer’s record of 25 consecutive starts from 1981-2005. Douglass, the 1986 Senior Open champion, has made the cut 14 times and has three top-five finishes in his 26 Senior Open appearances.

USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MICHIGAN: This will be the 31st USGA championship held in Michigan and the third U.S. Senior Open held in the state. In 1981, Arnold Palmer defeated Bob Stone and Billy Casper in an 18-hole playoff at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills. Jack Nicklaus shot 65 to win by four strokes over Chi Chi Rodriguez in an 18-hole playoff to win the 1991 championship at Oakland Hills C.C.

OTHER CHAMPIONSHIPS AT INDIANWOOD: Indianwood Golf & Country Club is hosting its third USGA championship. In 1989, Betsy King led from start to finish in winning the U.S. Women’s Open. Her 72-hole total of 278 was four better than runner-up Nancy Lopez. Patty Sheehan captured her second U.S. Open with a one-stroke victory over Tammie Green in 1994.

Gene Sarazen won the 1930 Western Open on this course.  In addition, Indianwood G&CC has hosted the Michigan PGA and Michigan Open.

FUTURE SENIOR OPEN SITES: July 11-14, 2013 – Omaha (Neb.) Country Club; July 10-13, 2014 – Oak Tree National, Edmond, Okla.

PHOTO MEDIA SERVICE    The USGA will offer daily complimentary high-resolution photographs during the U.S. Senior Open (Monday-Sunday) for news use only. For more information and to register, contact photorequests@usga.org.

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBER: USGA Communications Department – (908) 234-2300  

MORE INFORMATION: Contact Brian DePasquale of USGA Championship Communications via e-mail at bdepasquale@usga.org.

For more information on the USGA, visit www.usga.org. Media-specific information can be found at http://www.usga.org/MC_Home.aspx.