2026 ISPS HANDA Senior Open: Legends of the game set to get Senior Claret Jug challenge underway at Gleneagles

Greg Hutcheon will get the 39th ISPS HANDA Senior Open Championship underway on Thursday morning at 0640 alongside Patrik Sjoland and Taggart Ridings on the Kings Course at Gleneagles.

Much of the focus will be on Padraig Harrington, as the defending Champion attempts to go one better than the runner-up finish he achieved at Gleneagles in 2022. The Irishman has played four previous Senior Opens, and his finished 2nd twice, 5th once and won at Sunningdale last year, and is bidding to win his fifth Senior Major title.

Harrington will play the first two rounds alongside Stewart Cink and Alex Cejka, and their group will get underway at 0919. Harrington and Cink have forged somewhat of a rivalry on the PGA TOUR Champions, with Cink finishing second to Harrington in two of his Senior Major victories.

Darren Clarke won the 2022 Senior Open, which was played on the Kings Course at Gleneagles, and he will play alongside 2014 Ryder Cup winner Jamie Donaldson, and 2-time US Open Champion Retief Goosen.

Soren Kjeldsen, a past winner at Gleneagles in the Johnnie Walker Championship, will play alongside Colin Montgomerie and Jerry Kelly, teeing off their championships at 1336 on Thursday. Fellow past winner at Gleneagles, Paul Lawrie, will play with David Duval and Robert Karlsson, and fellow Scot Stephen Gallacher is grouped with Australia's Scott Hend and Steven Alker.

SHANK, by Matt Hooper

Matt Hooper is an Associate Member of the Sports Journalists Association