Quick on the heels of the PGA Tour’s return to Colorado for the BMW Championship last August, Coloradans have another marquee golf event to experience in-person. The U.S. Senior Open returns to Colorado Springs and the Broadmoor’s East Course June 26-29.
This will be the third time the tournament has been at The Broadmoor (2008, 2018) — tied for the most of any course. The field consists of 156 players who will contend in the 45th edition of the event, which offers the biggest purse in senior golf: $4 million total with $800,000 for the winner.
The tournament will be the ninth United States Golf Association (USGA) event hosted at The Broadmoor, in a deep tradition that goes all the way back to Jack Nicklaus’ 1959 victory in the U.S. Amateur Championship.
So, yes, it’s a big deal on many levels. Whether you’re a diehard golfer, a casual fan or a curious newbie, here’s an inside look at the impact, experience, history and viewer tips so you can enjoy the U.S. Senior Open like a pro.
Hosting a Pro Caliber Tournament
For Hank Thompson, senior director of the championship for the USGA, the infrastructure and experience the Broadmoor provides remains an enduring part of its appeal for hosting championship events, including everything from the “second to none” course maintenance team to the many long-tenured course staff.
“The success of previous championships has shown it, from the number of attendees to the way the tournaments have been presented and received,” Thompson says. “Plus, being able to use the existing resources and assets on the property takes some of the pressure off us.”
Even public safety and permitting support from the City of Colorado Springs matters.
“There’s a lot of people that have to come together and work really hard to make the championship happen,” Thompson says.
Keri Hardin is the championship manager for Par 5 Group, a golf events management company hired to focus on everything outside the ropes, such as ticketing, hospitality and more. Making the tournament an accessible, family-friendly event is a large part of their mission.
Hardin notes that in recent years, the expansion of golf offerings like Topgolf and other golf simulators have served as gateways to the sport, adding a new layer of socializing to the game that the U.S. Senior Open can expand on.
“The tournament is more of an experience,” she says. “Golf is at the forefront, but it’s also a cool social event where you can hang out with friends and family. And when else do you get to enjoy The Broadmoor golf course?”
The tournament is anticipated to bring in $24 million in economic impact, and Hardin says tickets have been bought from 46 different states. There will be 20 hours of tournament coverage on NBC and Peacock, showcasing the course, The Broadmoor and Colorado Springs.
Volunteers are a critical part of the U.S. Senior Open. Over 1,600 of them will give time during the week, serving in roles from ticket scanners and greeters to working the merchandise tent and attending as doctors and nurses to provide as-needed first aid. Marshals will man the rope lines and help track down errant tee shots, and other volunteers will assist with ShotLink technology and digital scoring, a relatively new part of the sport used to track and report statistical data in real time.
“The Senior Open is very regional,” Thompson says. “The vast majority of volunteers are from Colorado or within a few states away.”
Those volunteers — and attendees — come in part for the chance to see the players that have been synonymous with the sport for decades.
“This is a huge sporting event right in our backyard,” says Hardin. “Even if you don’t play golf, you don’t want to miss it.”
Players To Watch at the U.S. Senior Open
As many as seven World Golf Hall of Fame members and 15 past U.S. Open or U.S. Senior Open champions are likely to be in the field. Many of the game’s great players over the last few decades will be playing, and their talent and finesse will be on full display.
“That talent speaks to the quality of the championship, that those individuals continue to play and come back,” Thompson says. “They want to win another championship.”
Richard Bland
The defending U.S. Senior Open champion, winning at Newport Country Club in Rhode Island.
Angel Cabrera
He’s won three PGA Tour Champions events in 2025, including the most recent major championship, the Senior PGA Championship in May. He won the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont.
Fred Couples
The smooth-swinging “Mayor of Tempo Town” is a 14-time PGA Tour Champions winner and won the 1992 Masters tournament.
Ernie Els
The 1994 and 1997 U.S. Open champion, “The Big Easy” won the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai in January.
Jim Furyk
The 2021 U.S. Senior Open champion and 2003 U.S. Open champion, Furyk also holds the record for the lowest one-round score in PGA Tour history: a 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship.
Padraig Harrington
The 2022 U.S. Senior Open champion, Harrington won The Open in 2007 and 2008 and the 2008 PGA Championship.
Miguel Angel Jiménez
Alongside Cabrera, Jimenez is the other three-time winner on the PGA Tour Champions in 2025.
Bernhard Langer
One of the most successful players in the history of the PGA Tour Champions, he’s won 12 senior major championships and 47 PGA Tour Champions events, including the 2024 Charles Schwab Cup Championship and 2023 U.S. Senior Open. He played in his final Masters tournament (he’s a two-time champion) in April.
Colin Montgomerie
He’s the 2014 U.S. Senior Open champion.
Vijay Singh
Singh is a two-time winner of the PGA Championship (1998 and 2004) and won the Masters in 2000.
Steve Stricker
He’s the 2019 U.S. Senior Open champion and finished runner-up in 2022 and 2023.
David Toms
Champion the last time the U.S Senior Open was at the Broadmoor, in 2018.
Know Before You Go
- Free shuttles will take attendees from free parking at the World Arena to the Broadmoor, a new option from the last edition in 2018. Shuttles will run from 6:30 a.m. until half an hour after play concludes. Overflow parking will be available nearby if needed.
- Download and use the USGA app. That’ll have your digital tickets, as well as details on tee times, parking, prohibited items, liquid totals, strollers, medical needs, etc.
- Gates open at 7 a.m.
- Hydration stations will be available. You’re allowed to bring an empty bottle (up to 32 ounces) into the grounds.
- Be aware of your surroundings. A player could be lining up an important putt on the green behind you, or a wayward drive might be headed your way.
- Golf is an encouragement, not discouragement, sport. Don’t boo, and don’t yell in players’ backswings.
- Generally, the farther away from the clubhouse (and hotel) you go, the less crowds there will be. The first tee, third green, fourth hole, and 18th green are all right next to the hotel.
- Going to Wednesday’s practice round? Expect a more laid-back experience. Players will be trying out multiple shots and hole locations on each hole. They don’t play straight through like on tournament days. There will be a dedicated kids zone and kids autograph zone.
- In the event of a tie after 72 holes, a two-hole aggregate playoff will take place immediately following the conclusion of the final round.
U.S. Senior Open Ticket Info
- Tickets start at $29 for the Wednesday practice round and $59 for any of the four tournament days. Concessions and grandstands are open to everyone.
- Upgraded Trophy Club tickets give you access to a dedicated pavilion located between the 1st and 3rd fairways adjacent to the 18th green. The area will boast upgraded restrooms, a unique menu and TVs to watch the live coverage.
- Military members are free for Wednesday’s practice round, and eligible for a 50% discount on tournament days.
- Kids 17 and under are free all week with a ticketed adult (maximum four tickets per adult).
- For tickets and more tournament details, visit ussenioropen.com.
Broadmoor East Course Fast Facts and Notes
- The historic Broadmoor East course opened in 1918
- The Par 70 course includes 7,264 yards (yardages subject to change).
Holes To Watch
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- Hole #1, Par 4, 429 yards: An uphill tester that is not an easy start to the round.
- Hole #4, Par 3, 165 yards: One of the most scenic holes on the course, players will not want to be long of this green that slopes severely from back to front.
- Hole #10, Par 4, 501 yards: A downhill dogleg left, this was the toughest hole in 2018, with players averaging 4.49 strokes. Only 15 birdies were made the entire week. It’s an attention-getting start to the homeward nine holes.
- Hole #17, Par 4, 545 yards: A bear of a hole where par will feel like a good score, especially if you have the lead in the final round.
- Hole #18, Par 4, 433 yards: The iconic finishing hole with a great view of The Broadmoor hotel takes a dogleg right into the green, over a pond that isn’t really in play.
- Holes 1-6 and 16-18 are part of the original 1918 Donald Ross design. Holes 7-15 are the work of Robert Trent Jones Sr. and were combined in 1952 with nine Ross holes to form the current layout.
- 6,300 feet elevation, which means the ball will fly differently (and farther) through the air than what players are used to. Caddies will be doing a lot of math this week.
- The greens at The Broadmoor are notoriously tricky. The general rule of thumb? Putts will break away from the mountains and, more specifically, the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun, the chimes of which you’ll hear throughout the day. Players will want to have uphill putts whenever possible.
USGA Championship History at the Broadmoor
Winner in parentheses.
- 1959 U.S. Amateur Championship (Jack Nicklaus)
- 1962 Curtis Cup (United States of America)
- 1967 U.S Amateur Championship (Bob Dickson)
- 1982 U.S. Women’s Amateur (Juli Inkster)
- 1995 U.S Women’s Open (Annika Sorenstam)
- 2008 U.S. Senior Open (Eduardo Romero)
- 2011 U.S. Women’s Open (So Yeon Ryu)
- 2018 U.S Senior Open (David Toms)
- 2025 U.S. Senior Open
Some “Snack-tion” to Keep an Eye Out For
Because every fan has to stay nourished out on the course.
- Mile High Cheeseburger
- Pikes Peak Hot Dog
- Telluride Turkey Croissant
- Summit Club Pulled Chicken Sandwich
- Backcountry BBQ Brisket Sandwich
