2004 U.S. Senior Open Fact Sheet
July 29-Aug. 1
Bellerive Country Club
St. Louis, Mo.

PAR AND YARDAGE – Bellerive Country Club is set at 7,117 yards and par is 36-35--71. It will be the longest course in Senior Open history. Previously, Edgewood Tahoe Country Club in Stateline, Nev., the 1985 site, was the longest course.

THE ARCHITECT – Bellerive Country Club was designed by Robert Trent Jones and opened in 1960.

DEFENDING CHAMPION – Bruce Lietzke, fueled by a record-setting third-round 64, won the 2003 Senior Open at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio, by two strokes over Tom Watson. While he may have stumbled in the final round, hitting less than 50 percent of the fairways and shooting 2-over 73, he still became the fifth first-time winner of a major at Inverness. Lietzke finished at 7-under 277; Watson at 279. Vicente Fernandez was the only other player to finish under par, at 4-under 280.

QUOTING BRUCE LIETZKE, POST CHAMPIONSHIP -- "My golf game was leaking oil. I wasn't very comfortable with my swing and that's tough when every fairway looks 25 yards wide and the rough is that high. I will take a lot of pride in staring down a guy like Tom Watson and surviving one of the toughest tests of golf that I have ever been exposed to….That's where the appreciation will come from – surviving the ultimate test in golf."

PAIRINGS AND STARTING TIMES – Pairings and starting times will be available July 21-22, after sectional qualifying has been completed. They will be posted on the USGA Internet site at www.usga.org.

WWW.USGA.ORG -- Log onto the USGA Internet www.usga.org for the latest U.S. Senior Open information during the Championship (www.ussenioropen.com)

2003 RE–CAP – Despite finishing 58^th in driving accuracy in the weekend field of 60 players, Lietzke (pictured right), known as a straight driver, won the Senior Open because of his putting – he finished first in that statistic at 1.49 putts per hole -- and two crucial shots.

Those two strokes, both hooks, the opposite of his preferred left-to-right ball flight, were manufactured of necessity. The Sunday round shots were: a 5-iron from the fairway on the par-5 8^th hole, which set up an eagle that gave him a six-stroke cushion at the time; and a 7-iron from the rough on the par-4 16^th that led to a birdie. "That's crazy," said Lietzke of his recovery shot. "That's goofy stuff."

TICKETS – For more information, please call the Championship Office at (314) 878-2004. Weekly grounds passes are $130 each and are available by calling (314) 534-1111 or (800) 293-5949 or by visiting

www.metrotix.com. Juniors, age 15 and under, receive complimentary daily admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult.

MEDIA CONFERENCE WITH BRUCE LIETZE – Defending champion Bruce Lietzke will meet with all interested credentialed media at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 27, in the Media Center at Bellerive Country Club. The complete schedule of pre-championship interviews will be published and distributed prior to Championship week at the Media Center.

PURSE – The 2004 purse is $2.6 million, and the winner will receive $475,000.

FORMAT – The championship is played at stroke play over 72 holes. There are 156 players in the championship field, comprised of those advancing from sectional qualifying, and those exempt from sectional qualifying. After 36 holes, the field is cut to the 60 lowest scorers and ties and anyone within 10 strokes of the leader.

PLAYOFF FORMAT – If a playoff is needed, the U.S. Senior Open will use a multiple-hole, aggregate score format. If there is a tie or ties at the end of 72 holes, a 3- or 4-hole playoff will follow immediately. If the playoff results in a tie, play will continue hole-by-hole until a champion is determined.

SCHEDULE –

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY – First played in 1980, this is the 25th U.S. Senior Open Championship. A total of 19 players have won the first 24 championships. There have been five playoffs. Twenty-two clubs have hosted the championship with Oakland Hills Country Club in Birmingham Hills, Mich. and Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa., having served twice as a Senior Open site.

TELEVISION COVERAGE – A total of 14 hours of live television is slated for the 2004 U.S. Senior Open. All times listed are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). (Air times are subject to change)

A three- or four-hole playoff for the 2004 U.S. Senior Open would be played Sunday, August 1, starting immediately after the completion of 72 holes. NBC would broadcast the playoff in its entirety.

USGA AND BELLERIVE – The Senior Open is making its first stop at Bellerive Country Club while the USGA had previously conducted both the 1965 U.S. Open and the inaugural U.S. Mid-Amateur in 1981, won by St. Louis native Jim Holtgrieve. Bellerive also served as the second stroke play course for the 1999 U.S. Mid-Amateur. The 25^th Senior Open marks the 14^th time the Senior Open has visited a club which previously had hosted a U.S. Open. Hord Hardin, who served as the USGA's president in 1968-69, was an 11-time Bellerive club champion.

1965 OPEN ALUMS: A total of three players exempt into the championship played in the 1965 Open at Bellerive. They are: Gary Player (1), Raymond Floyd (T6), and Arnold Palmer (MC).

MISSOURI AND THE USGA: The USGA has held 12 previous championships in the state of Missouri, the most recent being the 2001 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur and the 2001 USGA Senior Amateur.

USGA AND CONTESTANTS – Beginning in 2004, all USGA Championship entrants will receive a complimentary Special Championship USGA Members Program membership to recognize their participation. Entrants who are already USGA Members will receive a complimentary one-year extension at their current individual level. In addition, entrants in the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open and U.S. Senior Open will be given USGA bag tags at registration.

MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS: The 2004 U.S. Senior Open will mark the third major championship to be played at Bellerive Country Club. Previously, the 1992 PGA Championship (won by Nick Price) and the 1965 U.S. Open (won by Gary Player) were conducted there. In addition, the 2001 World Golf Championships were scheduled for Bellerive but the events of September 11 that year forced the cancellation of the event.

FIRSTS AT 1965 OPEN: The 1965 U.S. Open at Bellerive was memorable for its firsts:

• Champion Gary Player returned his winning purse of $25,000 to the USGA, asking that $5,000 be used for cancer research and $20,000 for junior golf. The Association, in turn, used that $20,000 to incorporate the USGA Foundation, its broad-based philanthropic arm, in December of 1965.
• Player, calling it his best day ever in golf, completed a career Grand Slam (6/21/65)
• For the first time in 65 championships, the final round was conducted on Sunday. Previously, the final two rounds of the championship were played on Saturday.
• The Open was televised in color.
• Player, a South African, earned the victory, first by a non-American since Ted Ray won in 1920.

REPEAT AND MULTIPLE WINNERS – Miller Barber (1984 and 1985) and Gary Player (1987 and 1988) are the only players with back–to–back Senior Open victories. Hale Irwin (1998 and 2000) and Jack Nicklaus (1991 and 1993), are the only other multiple winners.

EXEMPT PLAYERS – A total of 76 players are exempt from qualifying into the 156-player Senior Open field.

TWO TEES – Players start on both the first and 10^th tees during competition on Thursday and Friday, beginning at 7:30 a.m.

WINNERS OF U.S. OPEN & U.S. SENIOR OPEN – With his victory at Riviera Country Club in 1998, Hale Irwin became the seventh man to win both the U.S. Open and U.S. Senior Open. Here's a table detailing these multiple winners:

USGA CHAMPIONS – The following chart illustrates the other USGA champions in the field:

A total of 33 USGA champions with 58 championships are playing.

PAST CHAMPIONS – All 19 past champions are exempt for future Senior Opens.

EXEMPT AMATEURS – Six amateurs are exempt from qualifying for the 2004 Senior Open, including 2003 USGA Senior Amateur champion Kemp Richardson. Others who are exempt are: George Zahringer of New York, N.Y. (2003 Walker Cup team and 2002 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion); Greg Reynolds of Grand Blanc, Mich. (2002 USGA Senior Amateur); Frank Abbott of Napa, Calif., Roy Smethurst of England and David Boesel, of Winter Park, Fla. (semifinalists from the 2003 USGA Senior Amateur).

LOCAL CHARITIES: Forest Park Forever and Sports for Kids are the two benefiting charities of the 2004 U.S. Senior Open.

2004 ENTRIES – In 2004, the USGA accepted 2,930 entries. The record is 3,101 in 2002.

WHO CAN ENTER – The Senior Open is open to any professional or amateur with a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 3.4 who turns 50 on or before July 29, 2004.

SECTIONAL QUALIFYING AT 44 SITES -- Sectional qualifying will be conducted at 44 sites from June 28 to July 13. The St. Louis area site is St. Louis Country Club on July 13.

HOLE-BY-HOLE – Bellerive Country Club will play at 7,117 yards, par 71

FUTURE SENIOR OPENS -- The U.S. Senior Open will be played at NCR Country Club in Dayton, Ohio, July 28-31, 2005, at Prairie Dunes Golf Club in Hutchinson, Kan., July 6-9, 2006 and at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis., July 5-8, 2007.

USGA MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACTS – For more information contact, Pete Kowalski at 908-234-2300. The Media Center at Bellerive Country Club will be staffed as of July 22. The media center phone number is (314) 628-3000 and the FAX number is (314) 628-3006.

ELIGIBLE FULLY EXEMPT PLAYERS FOR THE 2004 U.S. SENIOR OPEN (76)

Frank Abbott (a) 12
Jim Ahern 18
Dave Barr 15, 18
David Boesel (a) 12
Jose Maria Canizares 9, 15
Jim Colbert 16
Ben Crenshaw 4, 14, 16
Rodger Davis 9, 15, 18
Jim Dent 9, 16
Ed Dougherty 9, 16
Dale Douglass 1, 16
Allen Doyle 9, 15-18
R.W. Eaks 9
David Eger 15, 18
Dave Eichelberger 1, 16, 18
Vicente Fernandez 9, 15, 16, 18
Ed Fiori 17, 18
Bruce Fleisher 1, 15-18
Raymond Floyd 9, 14-16
John Fought 22
Bob Gilder 15-18
Stewart Ginn 9, 18
Hubert Green 16, 18
Gary Groh 9
Jay Haas 14, 16
Walter Hall 18
Dan Halldorson 9
Morris Hatalsky 9, 15, 17,18
Hale Irwin 1, 7, 15-18
John Jacobs 15, 16, 18
Peter Jacobsen 14, 16, 20
Mark James 14, 18
Tom Jenkins 9, 15-18
Tom Kite 9, 14-16, 17-18
Larry Laoretti 1
Wayne Levi 9, 15-18
Bruce Lietzke 1, 9, 15, 16, 18
John Mahaffey 16
Graham Marsh 1, 15-17
James Mason 18
Mike McCullough 9, 15, 16, 18
Mark McCumber 9
Mark McNulty 17, 18
Gil Morgan 9, 15-18
Bob Murphy 9, 16
Larry Nelson 15-18
Andy North 9, 18
Christy O'Connor 18
Arnold Palmer 1
Jerry Pate 17, 22
Gary Player 1, 16
Don Pooley 1, 18
Tom Purtzer 15-18
Dana Quigley 15-18
Sammy Rachels 18
Greg Reynolds (a) 12
Kemp Richardson (a) 12
John Schroeder 18
Jay Sigel 15, 16, 18
Roy Smethurst (a) 12
Des Smyth 9, 15
J.C. Snead 16, 18
Craig Stadler 9, 15-18
Dave Stockton 1, 16, 18
Bruce Summerhays 16
Doug Tewell 7, 15, 16, 18
Leonard Thompson 16, 18
Jim Thorpe 15-18
Sam Torrance 14
Steve Veriato 18
Bobby Wadkins 15
Tom Wargo 7, 16, 18
Tom Watson 7-9, 15, 16, 18
D. A. Weibring 15, 17, 18
George Zahringer (a) 12, 13
Fuzzy Zoeller 7, 9, 15-18

Key to Player Exemptions --

1. Former winners of the U.S. Senior Open.
2. Winners of the U.S. Open in the last 10 years. (1995-2004)
3. Winners of the U.S. Amateur in the last 10 years. (1994-2003)
4. Winners of the Masters Tournament in the last 10 years (1995-2004)
5. Winners of the British Open in the last 10 years (1994-2003)
6. Winners of the PGA Championship in the last 10 years. (1994-2003)
7. Winners of the PGA Seniors Championship in the last 10 years. (1994-2003)
8 Winner of the 2003 British Senior Open Championship.
9. The 25 lowest scorers and ties from the 2003 U.S. Senior Open.
10. From the 2004 U.S. Open, any amateur returning a 72-hole score
11. The low amateur at the 2003 U.S. Senior Open.
12. From the U.S. Amateur Public Links, U.S. Mid-Amateur and USGA Senior Amateur, the winners from the last two years and the semifinalists from the most recent championships
13. Playing members of the 2001 and 2003 USA Walker Cup teams and 2000 and 2002 USA World Amateur Teams
14. Playing members of the U.S. and European Ryder Cup teams in the last 10 years. (1995-2004)
15. The top 30 money leaders from the 2003 Champions Tour money list.
16. The top 50 players on the Champions Tour all-time money list through June 16
17. The top 20 money leaders on the 2004 Champions Tour money list through June 16
18. Winners of Champions Tour events in the last three years (2001-2003) and the current calendar year.
19. The leading money winner from the 2003 Senior PGA European Tour Order of Merit
20. Winners of PGA Tour co-sponsored events in the last five years (1999-2003) and during the current calendar year.
21. Any player in his first five years of age eligibility for U.S. Open winners
22. Any player turning 50 in the last calendar year who has won a U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, Masters Tournament, British Open, British Amateur, or PGA Championship (one-time exemption)
23. Special exemptions as selected by the USGA Executive Committee.