For the 10th consecutive year, Worthington Hills Country Club in Columbus will host U.S. Senior Open Qualifying. For a second year in a row, it will host a local qualifier.
18 players and two alternates will advance to Final Qualifying at a later date. There are 13 Final Qualifying locations, including one at Miami Valley Golf Club in Dayton on June 1, hosted by the Miami Valley Golf Association.
The 2026 U.S. Senior Open Championship will be played from July 2-5, down the road at Scioto Country Club in Columbus.
COURSE NOTES
Worthington Hills Country Club was designed by local PGA Professional Charlie Lorms over 50 years ago. The par-71 classic layout features many mature, tree-lined fairways, strategic bunkering, and some of the most challenging greens in the state of Ohio.
The par-4 2nd hole is the signature hole at Worthington Hills, featuring a difficult green complex with a penalty area looming in front of the green.
The course has hosted numerous U.S. Senior Open Qualifying and Columbus District Golf Association events in the last decade. In 2025, it hosted the Ohio Golf Association’s Two-Man Best-Ball Championship.
Head Pro: Justin Van Heukelom
Superintendent: Jim Cola
FIELD NOTES
The event is open to any professional and amateur golfer who is 50 years of age as of July 2, 2026 and whose Handicap Index does not exceed 2.4. There were 2,780 entries accepted for the 2026 U.S. Senior Open Championship.
101 of them will attempt to advance from Worthington Hills to Final Qualifying.
Notable players in the field include:
- Frank Lickliter II, two-time PGA TOUR winner
- Rod Spittle, Champions Tour winner and Ohio Golf Hall of Fame member
- TJ Brudzinski, two-time Ohio Senior Amateur Champion and Ohio Golf Hall of Famer, 6x Worthington Hills CC Club Champion
- Pete Betzold, defending Ohio Golf Association Public/Municipal champion
- Marcus Meloan, medalist at 2025 U.S. Senior Open Local Qualifier
- Joe Podolski, 2025 Columbus District Golf Association Senior Amateur champion and Senior Player of the Year
FOLLOW THE ACTION
