Former major champions and high-profile golfers could play in the 2026 U.S. Senior Open from July 2-5 at Scioto Country Club in Columbus.
Starting at 2,780 hopefuls, the field will be cut to 156 competitors after the local and final rounds of qualifying. Golfers on the exemption list, meanwhile, can skip qualifying and compete.
There are 28 possible ways for a player to make the exemption list. They include previous U.S. Senior Open champions and players who won one of golf’s four majors.
Golfers can also earn an exemption if they’re within their first 10 years of age eligibility and have previously won a U.S. Open. Four players qualified this way: Tiger Woods, Retief Goosen, Michael Campbell, and Cabrera.
The final way for players to qualify is via special exemptions submitted to the USGA. Those have yet to be announced.
See which players are already on the 2026 U.S. Senior Open exemption list below.
Players on the exemption list for the 2026 U.S. Senior Open
There are 28 possible ways to earn a spot on the exemption list for the U.S. Senior Open. Players can qualify in multiple categories, but are listed below only under the first category for which they qualify. You can see the full exemption list here (via the USGA website).
Winners of the U.S. Senior Open Championship (2015-2025):
*There was no U.S. Senior Open held in 2020 due to Covid-19.
Winners of the U.S. Senior Open from 2011-2025 who have not yet reached their 66th birthday on or before the U.S. Senior Open:
From the 2025 U.S. Senior Open Championship, the lowest 15 scorers and anyone tying for 15th place:
Any player in his first 10 years of eligibility who has won the U.S. Open Championship:
Winner and runner-up from the 2025 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship, and the winner of the 2025 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship
Any player in their first year of age eligibility who has won a U.S. Amateur Championship, Masters Tournament, The Open, The Amateur Championship or PGA Championship:
Winners of the ISPS HANDA Senior Open Championship (2021-2025)
Winners of the Regions Tradition (2022-2026)
Winners of the Kaulig Companies Championship (2022-2026)
Players who qualified for the 2025 Charles Schwab Cup Championship (PGA Tour Champions)
The top 20 money leaders official 2026 PGA Tour Champions Charles Schwab Cup (March 25 cut-off)
The top 40 money leaders from PGA Tour Champions All-Time Money List
Winners of PGA Tour Champions co-sponsored events (excluding team events, 2024 season to the initiation of the 2024 U.S. Senior Open)
Top 10 players from the 2025 Legends Tour Order of Merit
The top 4 money winners from the 2025 Japan Senior Tour
Playing members of the five most current United States and European Ryder Cup Teams, and U.S. and World Presidents’ Cup Teams
Winners of PGA Tour co-sponsored events, whose victories are considered official, in the last six calendar years:
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: See which former major champions could play in 2026 US Senior Open
Reporting by Dan Aulbach, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
