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2,788 Entries Accepted; 10 Past Champions Exempt For 2003 U.S. Senior Open
May 16, 2003
Far Hills, N.J. - A total of 2,788 entries, including 10 past champions, were accepted and a total of 79 players are exempt from having to qualify for the 2003 U.S. Senior Open Championship scheduled from June 26-29 at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.
Entries closed at 5 p.m. EDT on May 14. A total of 2,891 entries were received for this Senior Open, but 103 were rejected because the entrant had played poorly in past qualifying rounds or had a USGA Handicap Index higher than 3.4. In 2002, the USGA accepted a record 3,101 entries.
A total of 1,328 online entries were accepted. The oldest player to enter is Bob Toski, 76, of Boca Raton, Fla., long-time PGA Tour player who is still active in instruction and TV commentary. He was the leading money winner on the PGA Tour in 1954. The first entry came on-line from John Casstevens, 57, of Glen Allen, Va., on March 5. The last entry also came on-line from George Zimmer, 57, of Euclid, Ohio, on May 14.
In addition to defending champion Don Pooley, nine other past winners who are exempt and have entered are: Dale Douglass (1986), Dave Eichelberger (1999), Hale Irwin (1998 and 2000), Larry Laoretti (1992), Graham Marsh (1997), Jack Nicklaus (1991 and 1993), Arnold Palmer (1981), Gary Player (1987 and 1988), and Dave Stockton (1996).
All previous Senior Open champions are exempt, but they must file an entry. The remainder of the field will be filled from sectional qualifying at 44 sites nationally from June 2-16.
The Senior Open is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association. Other championships include the U.S. Open, the U.S. Women's Open, and 10 amateur championships.
Following is a list of players fully exempt for the 2003 U.S. Senior Open:
| Player |
Exemption Key (see below) |
| Jim Albus |
16 |
| Buddy Alexander* |
22 |
| Isao Aoki |
9, 16, 18 |
| Bill Baloh* |
12 |
| Dave Barr |
17, 18 |
| Mark Bemoski* |
12 |
| John Bland |
9, 15, 16 |
| Jose Maria Canizares |
9 |
| Bob Clark* |
9 |
| Jim Colbert |
16 |
| Ben Crenshaw |
4, 14, 16 |
| Rodger Davis |
15, 17, 18 |
| Jim Dent |
16 |
| Ed Dougherty |
9, 15, 16 |
| Dale Douglass |
1, 16 |
| Allen Doyle |
7, 9, 15-18 |
| Seiji Ebihara |
19 |
| David Eger |
17, 18 |
| Dave Eichelberger |
1, 16, 18 |
| Vicente Fernandez |
9, 16-18 |
| Bruce Fleisher |
1, 15-18 |
| Raymond Floyd |
7, 9, 14-16 |
| Fred Gibson |
9 |
| Bob Gilder |
9, 15-18 |
| Vinny Giles* |
23 |
| Stewart Ginn |
9, 15, 18 |
| David Graham |
16 |
| Hubert Green |
15, 16, 18 |
| Walter Hall |
9, 15, 18 |
| Morris Hatalsky |
9, 15,18 |
| Hale Irwin |
1, 7, 9, 15-18 |
| John Jacobs |
15-18 |
| Tom Jenkins |
7, 9 |
| Tom Kite |
9, 14-18 |
| Larry Laoretti |
1 |
| Wayne Levi |
15 |
| Bruce Lietzke |
9, 15-18 |
| Curt Madson* |
12 |
| John Mahaffey |
16 |
| Graham Marsh |
1, 16 |
| James Mason |
18 |
| Terry Mauney |
9 |
| Gary McCord |
15 |
| Mike McCullough |
15, 16, 18 |
| Mark McCumber |
16 |
| Gil Morgan |
9, 15-18 |
| Bob Murphy |
16 |
| Larry Nelson |
9, 15-18 |
| Jack Nicklaus |
1, 16 |
| Andy North |
18 |
| Christy O'Connor |
18 |
| Arnold Palmer |
1 |
| Gary Player |
1, 16 |
| Don Pooley |
1, 9, 15, 18 |
| Tom Purtzer |
15, 17, 18 |
| Dana Quigley |
9, 15-18 |
| Sammy Rachels |
15, 18 |
| Greg Reynolds* |
12 |
| Kemp Richardson* |
12 |
| Bill Rogers |
22 |
| Jay Sigel |
9, 15, 16, 18 |
| Des Smyth |
17 |
| J.C. Snead |
15, 16, 18 |
| Craig Stadler |
22 |
| Dave Stockon |
1, 16, 18 |
| Noboru Sugai |
8 |
| Bruce Summerhays |
16 |
| Doug Tewell |
7, 9, 15, 16, 18 |
| Leonard Thompson |
16, 18 |
| Jim Thorpe |
9, 15, 17, 18 |
| Steve Veriato |
18 |
| Bobby Wadkins |
9, 15, 17 |
| Lanny Wadkins |
14-16, 18 |
| Tom Wargo |
7, 16, 18 |
| Tom Watson |
7, 9, 15-18 |
| George Zahringer* |
12 |
| Fuzzy Zoeller |
7, 15, 16, 18 |
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* = amateur
1. Former winners of the U.S. Senior Open.
2. Winners of the U.S. Open in the last 10 years. (1994-2003)
3. Winners of the U.S. Amateur in the last 10 years. (1993-2002)
4. Winners of the Masters Tournament in the last 10 years. (1994-2003)
5. Winners of the British Open in the last 10 years. (1993-2002)
6. Winners of the PGA Championship in the last 10 years. (1993-2002)
7. Winners of the PGA Seniors Championship in the last 10 years. (1994-2003)
8. Winner of the 2002 British Senior Open Championship.
9. The 25 lowest scorers and ties from the 2002 U.S. Senior Open.
10. From the 2003 U.S. Open, any amateur returning a 72-hole score.
11. The low amateur at the 2002 U.S. Senior Open.
12. From the U.S. Amateur Public Links, U.S. Mid-Amateur and USGA Senior Amateur, the winners from the last two years and the semifinalists from the most recent championships.
13. Playing members of the 1999 and 2001 USA Walker Cup teams and 2000 and 2002 USA World Amateur Teams.
14. Playing members of the U.S. and European Ryder Cup teams in the last 10 years. (1993-2002)
15. The top 30 money leaders from the 2002 Champions Tour money list.
16. The top 50 players on the Champions Tour all-time money list through May 14, 2003.
17. The top 20 money leaders on the 2003 Champions Tour money list through May 14, 2003.
18. Winners of Champions Tour events in the last three years (2000-2002) and the current calendar year.
19. The leading money winner from the 2002 Senior PGA European Tour Order of Merit.
21. Any player in his first five years of age eligibility for U.S. Open winners.
22. Any player turning 50 in the last calendar year who has won a U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, Masters Tournament, British Open, British Amateur, or PGA Championship (one-time exemption).
23. Special exemptions as selected by the USGA Executive Committee.
E-mail address: mediarelations@usga.org
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