2026 US Senior Open Championship: News, Champions & Scioto Glory
Championship Heritage
Explore the legacy of the US Senior Open, the premier major for golfers 50 and over, now contested at historic Scioto Country Club.
View HistoryScioto CC Strategy
Scioto’s classic parkland design demands precision, length management, and smart course strategy. Get our caddie breakdown of the par-70 layout.
Virtual Course TourTournament Highlights
Watch dramatic finishes, clutch putts, and the best shots from the 2026 US Senior Open at Scioto Country Club.
Watch HighlightsTournament Details
Dates: June 25 – 28, 2026
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Format: 72-hole stroke play
Championship Facts
Defending Champion: Padraig Harrington (2025)
Field: 156 players (Champions Tour major)
Purse: $4 million
About the Event
The US Senior Open is golf’s most prestigious major for legends. Scioto CC — a classic Donald Ross design — challenges every club in the bag with tree-lined fairways, undulating greens, and rich history hosting the 1926 PGA Championship and 1931 Ryder Cup.
2026 U.S. Senior Open Final Round Recap & Highlights
CaddyBytes ⛳ 2026 U.S. Senior Open Final Recap: Padraig Harrington closed the 2026 U.S. Senior Open like a defending champion who knew exactly where the championship was going to be won. Harrington posted a final-round 66 at Scioto Country Club to finish at 12-under 268, four shots clear of Stewart Cink, and turned what started as a Sunday chase into a controlled senior-major closeout.
The final round began with Cink holding the 54-hole lead at 9-under and Harrington one shot behind at 8-under. That changed quickly. Harrington's Sunday start flipped the championship pressure, while Cink could not match the scoring pace after his third-round 64. By the time the leaders reached the heart of the round, Harrington had built enough cushion that the final stretch became less about survival and more about managing the trophy home.
Harrington's weekend was the championship story. He went 66-66 over the final two rounds, avoided the big putting mistake, and kept making enough mid-range putts to keep the rest of the board from getting back into the fight. The win gives Harrington another U.S. Senior Open title and adds to his growing senior-major résumé, with Scioto becoming another course where his patience, short game, and Sunday conversion carried the week.
Cink finished solo second at 8-under after a final-round 71. He had taken control on Saturday with a bogey-free 64, but the Sunday swing belonged to Harrington. George McNeill, who had led after 36 holes and stayed in the final-round mix, finished third at 6-under after a closing 71.
Behind the top three, Ian Poulter made the best final-round move among the upper leaderboard names with a closing 67 to finish fourth at 5-under. Jamie Donaldson, Retief Goosen, and Paul Stankowski shared fifth at 4-under, while Darren Clarke, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, and Pat Perez rounded out the top-10 line at 3-under.
📊 2026 U.S. Senior Open Final Scoreboard
Scoreboard status: Final round complete at Scioto Country Club. Padraig Harrington wins at 12-under 268, Stewart Cink finishes second at 8-under, George McNeill is third at 6-under, and Ian Poulter is fourth at 5-under.
| Position | Player | Score | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | Final note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Padraig Harrington | -12 | 69 | 67 | 66 | 66 | 268 | Champion |
| 2 | Stewart Cink | -8 | 67 | 70 | 64 | 71 | 272 | Solo second |
| 3 | George McNeill | -6 | 68 | 66 | 69 | 71 | 274 | Third after 36-hole lead |
| 4 | Ian Poulter | -5 | 70 | 69 | 69 | 67 | 275 | Best closing move near the top |
| T5 | Jamie Donaldson | -4 | 69 | 70 | 69 | 68 | 276 | Top-five finish |
| T5 | Retief Goosen | -4 | 70 | 73 | 66 | 67 | 276 | Strong weekend recovery |
| T5 | Paul Stankowski | -4 | 69 | 70 | 68 | 69 | 276 | Top-five finish |
| T8 | Darren Clarke | -3 | 71 | 72 | 64 | 70 | 277 | Round 3 charge held top 10 |
| T8 | Miguel Ángel Jiménez | -3 | 69 | 68 | 67 | 73 | 277 | Top-10 finish |
| T8 | Pat Perez | -3 | 72 | 68 | 70 | 67 | 277 | Closing 67 for top 10 |
| T11 | Ernie Els | -2 | 71 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 278 | Steady week |
| T11 | John Rollins | -2 | 72 | 70 | 67 | 69 | 278 | Top-15 finish |
| T11 | Henrik Stenson | -2 | 71 | 67 | 72 | 68 | 278 | Top-15 finish |
| T14 | Billy Andrade | -1 | 72 | 72 | 65 | 70 | 279 | Top-15 finish |
| T14 | Alex Cejka | -1 | 69 | 69 | 71 | 70 | 279 | Top-15 finish |
| T14 | Freddie Jacobson | -1 | 68 | 73 | 70 | 68 | 279 | Top-15 finish |
Final leaderboard note: Harrington turned the final round into a clean championship close. The chase started with Cink, McNeill, and Jiménez close enough to pressure him, but Harrington's Sunday 66 opened the gap and left Cink four shots back in second.
Championship takeaway: This was not a massive Sunday shootout from the pack. It was Harrington separating with putting, patience, and mistake-free scoring while the players chasing him could not match his weekend pace.
Final-round takeaway: Harrington trailed Cink entering Sunday, but the final round flipped fast. Once Harrington created separation, Scioto became a course-management test for the leader and a chase problem for everyone else. Cink's 54-hole lead turned into solo second, McNeill backed up his strong first three rounds with third place, and Poulter's closing 67 gave the final board a notable senior-debut result.
Completed-event note: The 2026 U.S. Senior Open is now complete. Harrington is the champion at 12-under, Cink is second at 8-under, McNeill is third at 6-under, and the top-five line settled at 4-under. The final story from Scioto is Harrington's weekend control and another major-championship close from one of the strongest senior players in the game.
Video courtesy of USGA / YouTube.