The U.S. Open is one of the four majors on the PGA Tour. However, there’s a separate tour for golfers who are over the age of 50 called the PGA Tour Champions. This set of tournaments includes the U.S. Senior Open, and while the players tend to be on the “older” side, it certainly doesn’t lack excitement. Here’s what you need to know about this iconic golf competition.

What Is the U.S. Senior Open?

One of the 5 major championships in senior golf, the U.S. Senior Open was first introduced over 40 years ago in 1980. The tournament play is stroke style, and like every other professional golf tour, participants must walk the course unless otherwise noted by a medical exemption. The U.S. Senior Open is commonly regarded as the PGA Tour Champions’ tournament with the highest purse.

To qualify for the U.S. Senior Open, golfers must meet one or more of the following criteria:

• 50 years of age or older on opening day of the tournament
• Any past winner of the U.S. Senior Open
• Winners of any of the major championships in the last 10 years
• Winners of any of the U.S. Amateur in the last 10 years and runner-up in previous year
• Winners of the Senior PGA Championship in the last 10 years
• Winner of the Senior Open Championship in the last 5 years
• Top 15 finishers from the previous year's U.S. Senior Open
• Any amateur completing 72 holes in last U.S. Open
• Low amateur in last U.S. Senior Open
• Winner and runner-up of the U.S. Senior Amateur in the previous year
• Members of the Walker Cup and Eisenhower Trophy teams for the last two competitions
• Members of both Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams for the last five competitions
• Top 30 from the previous year's PGA Tour Champions money list, top 20 from current list
• Top 50 leaders from the PGA Tour Champions career money list
• Winners of PGA Tour Champions events in the previous three years
• Top six from previous year's European Senior Tour money list
• Top two from previous year's Japan Seniors Tour money list
• Winners of PGA Tour events in the previous five years
• Winners of the U.S. Open in first ten years of age eligibility
• One-time exemption for any winner of a major championship, U.S. Amateur, or British Amateur.
  • Winners of amateur championships who have since turned professional are able to use this exemption.

2022 U.S. Senior Open

This year, the U.S. Senior Open took place June 23-26 at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, PA. This year’s competition has a $4 million purse with the winner's share totaling $720,000. After a nail-biting finish, EyePromise® ambassador Padraig Harrington held off Steve Stricker to take home the Francis D. Ouimet Memorial Trophy. The last time Stricker and Harrington faced off was as captains of the 2021 Ryder Cup. This win qualifies Padraig for the U.S. Open in 2023.

Harrington stunned the golf world with an impressive showing the first three rounds with a total of 15 birdies. After

making several impressive shots, including a 25-foot birdie putt, the win comes down to a skillful short game. It was “clutch putting” in the 15-18 holes that earned Harrington the win. For him, successful putting comes down to confidence.

“Putting comes down to confidence and as I got older, I was struggling with reading the greens. However, I’ve been taking EyePromise [Vizual Edge Pro™], and I feel that I can now pick up the change in contrast of the greens much better, which gives me confidence in reading the putts. My stats have improved. I have genuinely found that using EyePromise has helped me.”

The last international player to win the U.S. Senior Open is another EyePromise golf ambassador, Colin Montgomerie, who is also utilizing Vizual Edge Pro.

EyePromise Vizual Edge Pro

EyePromise Vizual Edge Pro is the most elite eye vitamin formula on the market designed to help athletes gain an edge over their competition. With natural ingredients and an NSF certification for sports, Vizual Edge Pro is clinically proven to:

• Improve contrast sensitivity
• Increase reaction time
• Reduce occasional dry eye and irritation
• Decrease light and glare sensitivity

While it works for pro golfers like Padraig Harrington and fellow U.S. Senior Open competitor Colin Montgomerie, you don’t need to be an elite athlete to benefit from taking an EyePromise performance eye vitamin. Learn more about the performance benefits from taking EyePromise.