Gleneagles Hotel will host 2026 ISPS HANDA, Europe’s only Senior Major Championship for a second time. The King’s Course will host the 39th edition of the ISPS HANDA Senior Open from July 23-26, 2026, following on from when it first hosted the Championship in 2022. That year, Northern Irishman Darren Clarke became the fourth player in history to win both The Open and Senior Open as he finished one stroke ahead of former Ryder Cup teammate and fellow Major Champion Pádraig Harrington.
Gleneagles, renowned for its illustrious golfing history, will once again stage the ISPS HANDA Senior Open in 2026. The tournament will be played on the iconic King’s Course, marking the venue’s second time hosting Europe’s only Senior Major Championship after its successful debut in 2022.
Gleneagles has a distinguished record of hosting world-class events across its three Championship courses, including the 2014 Ryder Cup and the 2019 Solheim Cup—both played on The PGA Centenary Course, where Europe triumphed on each occasion. Since 1974, the venue has also welcomed 26 DP World Tour events. Several past champions at Gleneagles, such as Thomas Bjørn, Søren Kjeldsen, Paul Lawrie and Ian Woosnam, are now active on the Legends Tour.
Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R&A, expressed his delight:
“We look forward to Gleneagles staging the ISPS HANDA Senior Open for a second time in 2026. The King’s Course has a rich history of hosting leading championships, and we know the players will relish the opportunity to compete there once again.”
Edward Kitson, Championship Director of the ISPS HANDA Senior Open, added:
“Gleneagles proved itself to be a more than worthy host of Europe’s only Senior Major three years ago. We are thrilled to return in 2026 to a course regarded as one of the best in the country.”
Rob Dickson, Director of Industry and Events at VisitScotland, highlighted the event’s significance:
“Scotland is proud to welcome the Senior Open back to Gleneagles. Hosting this Championship not only celebrates our heritage as the home of golf but also strengthens our global reputation as a premier destination for tourism and major sporting events.”
Gleneagles Managing Director Conor O’Leary reflected on the venue’s legacy:
“We are immensely proud of our history as a stage for golf’s greatest moments, from the Ryder Cup to the Solheim Cup. Welcoming back the ISPS HANDA Senior Open continues that proud tradition, and we look forward to hosting legends of the game on our timeless James Braid-designed King’s Course, which marked its centenary in 2019.”
Since its inception in 1987, the ISPS HANDA Senior Open has become a cornerstone of senior professional golf, contributing to both the Legends Tour’s Order of Merit and the PGA TOUR Champions’ Charles Schwab Cup. The Championship has been staged at some of the UK’s most celebrated venues, including St Andrews, Carnoustie, Royal Birkdale, Royal Portrush, Royal Lytham & St Annes and Sunningdale.
The return of the Senior Open to Gleneagles further cements the venue’s status as one of the world’s finest stages for elite golf.
About the ISPS HANDA Senior Open
The ISPS HANDA Senior Open will take place at Sunningdale for the fourth time as the iconic Berkshire venue hosts Europe’s only Senior Major Championship from July 24-27, 2025.
Sunningdale previously hosted the Championship in 2009, 2015 and 2021, with Loren Roberts, Marco Dawson and Stephen Dodd winning the Senior Open trophy on those occasions.
The 2024 Senior Open saw K.J. Choi make history as the first South Korean to win a men’s Senior Major Championship, finishing two strokes ahead of Australia’s Richard Green.
Bernhard Langer became the first golfer in history to win The Senior Open four times with his victory in 2019 at Royal Lytham & St Annes – moving ahead of Gary Player and Tom Watson with whom he previously shared three wins. The German also broke his own record of Senior Major Championship victories – securing his 11th at Royal Lytham & St Annes and since adding a 12th at the 2023 U.S. Senior Open.
The Senior Open was introduced in 1987 at Turnberry in Ayrshire when Neil Coles, the former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the European Tour group, won the inaugural title. This led, two years later, to the formal inception of what is now the Legends Tour. It has since been held at some of the United Kingdom’s most historic and renowned venues, including the Old Course at St Andrews, Royal County Down, Carnoustie, Royal Birkdale, Royal Portrush and Royal Lytham & St Annes.
About ISPS HANDA
ISPS Handa was founded by Dr Haruhisa Handa in 2006 to further the transformative power of sport across the globe. ISPS HANDA funds and promotes sporting events in archery, bowling, boxing, football, golf, polo, rowing, rugby and swimming with an emphasis on blind and disabled golf. Dr Handa’s philanthropic work extends to communities around the world, positively impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, providing opportunities and support to causes and communities.
‘‘We believe that sport has a unique ability to create hope, to break down educational and cultural barriers and to inspire people in a way that can unite communities around the world. ISPS HANDA’s support for golf stems from a firm belief in the power of sport.”
About the Legends Tour
Formerly known as the European Senior Tour and the Staysure Tour, the Legends Tour is the men’s professional golf tour for members aged 50 and older. Created in 1992, the Legends Tour’s active membership features many of the pioneering champions who played on the European Tour during the 1970s, 80s, 90s and beyond. Colin Montgomerie, Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam are among the winners of the John Jacobs Trophy, which is awarded to the golfer who finishes first on the Legends Tour Order of Merit.
In September 2020, Ryan Howsam, Staysure Group CEO, acquired a majority equity share in the Tour in a ground-breaking joint venture with the European Tour, a unique structure whereby an individual has the majority ownership in a professional tour. The Legends Tour provides unmatched playing experiences for amateur golfers at its Legends Experience, Championship Pro-Am and Celebrity Pro-Am events. These experiences provide golfers with unique opportunities to rub shoulders with and play alongside legends of the game at competitive events hosted at world-class golfing destinations.
About PGA TOUR Champions
PGA TOUR Champions is a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older, including 35 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Tour’s mission is to provide financial opportunities for its players, entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back and generate significant charitable and economic impact in tournament communities. Follow PGA TOUR Champions online at PGATOUR.com, on Facebook, on Twitter (@ChampionsTour), on Instagram (@pgatourchampions) and on TikTok (pgatourchampions).
All events are televised in the United States on Golf Channel, the exclusive cable-television partner of PGA TOUR Champions. Internationally, PGA TOUR Champions coverage is available in more than 170 countries and territories via 22 media partners.
