The Senior Open 2025 Preview, Picks & Analysis

IRELAND’S Padraig Harrington will be looking to add the 2025 ISPS Handa Senior Open title to his Senior US Open crown at Sunningdale this week - and it would take a brave man to bet against him.

The three-time major champion may be 53 years old but he still hits the ball a long way and remains one of the hardest workers within the sport. And trust me when I tell you that he retains a powerful self-belief in his own ability. He believes he can still compete with the very best in the game.

He won The Open in 2007 and 2008 and also added the US PGA Championship in 2008. Harrington spent more than 300 weeks in the top 10 of the world rankings and reached a career-high ranking of the third spot in July 2008. He was a member of six consecutive Ryder Cup teams between 1999 and 2010. In 2024, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

He has won six times on the PGA Tour, 15 times on the DP World Tour and 10 Champions Tour victories - and counting.

In 2022, Harrington started playing on PGA Tour Champions. He finished second to Steve Stricker n his first senior major, The Tradition. On 26 June 2022, he won his first senior major, the US Senior Open, beating Stricker by one stroke.

He may well feel that Senior Open owes him something, having lost out in a playoff to Alex Cejka two years ago.

The seemingly ageless Miguel Angel Jimenez is having the season of his life. Now 61, he won 21 times on the DP World Tour, holds the records for the most starts and being the first player over the age of 50 to win on the DP World Tour at the 2014 Open de Espana when he was 50 years and 133 days. Indeed, the bulk of his success came after he hit 40.

Never one of the longest hitters, his greatest strength has been his unerring ability to find fairways, hit greens in regulation and hole crucial putts when it really matters. He has 17 Champions Tour wins. He had been a regular winner up until 2022 but spent three years where he could not finish the job off. But he has more than made up for it in 20025 with four victories, including two playoff wins.

Jimenez is good for the game. The crowds love him and he adores turning it on for them.

It remains to be seen how those fans will greet Angel Cabrera. His golfing ability is beyond question, with two majors among his 57 professional victories. But he would be the first to admit that his personal life left plenty to be desired.

In January 2021, hewas arrested in Brazil after leaving Argentina without court permission while facing domestic violence allegations. He was extradited in June 2021 and later convicted for assault and threats against a former partner and received a two-year prison sentence the following month. And in November 2022, he was convicted again on similar charges involving another former partner and received an additional 28-month sentence. The sentences were served concurrently.

Cabrera was released on parole in August 2023 after serving approximately 30 months in custody and in April this year he was allowed to play in The Masters and cleared to resume his Champions Tour career. Incredibly, he has won three times this year, including two senior majors - The Tradition and the Senior PGA Championship.

Last year South Korea’s K.J. Choi survived an early jitter in the final round to claim the first major of his career, beating Australia’s Richard Green to win at Carnoustie.

Choi, 54, finished with a 2-under-par 70 on the final round and ended up with a total of 10-under-par 278. He was the only golfer in the field to break par every day in what was his first victory since the 2021 PURE Insurance Championship.

He had three bogeys in his first six holes and it looks like the title might be slipping from his grasp, but there were also four birdies and, crucially, an eagle at the par-five 14th that effectively secured the win. He could even afford to finish with a dropped shot at the last.

Past Tournament Winners

It was won in 2015 by Marco Dawson, in 2016 by Paul Broadhurst, in 2017 and 2019 by Bernhard Langer, in 2018 by Miguel Angel Jimenez, in 2021 by Stephen Dodd, in 2022 by Darren Clarke, in 2023 by Alex Cjeka and last year by KJ Choi. There was no tournament in 2020.

The Course

Sunningdale is one of the most beautiful courses on the planet. It was designed by Willie Park Junior and opened in 1901 and features lots of heather, trees and bunkers. It is a par 70 measuring 6,716 yards

Tournament Prize Money

Total prize money is $2.85m with the winner receiving around $800,000

How to Watch

Thursday, July 24, Sky Sports Golf, 1.30pm; Friday, July 25, Sky Sports Golf, ; Saturday, July 26, Sky Sports Golf, ; Sunday, July 27, Sky Sports Golf

Form Guide

Padraig Harrington hits the ball as far as he ever did and is full of confidence and self-belief after his US Senior Open win.

To win:

Padraig Harrington. Still has every shot in the book

Each way:

Miguel Angel Jimenez. Having a stunning season

Each way:

KJ Choi. Determined character

Five to Follow

Padraig Harrington. Hardest worker in the game

Miguel Angel Jimenez. Will be there or thereabouts

KJ Choi. Finds a lot of fairways

Angel Cabrera. Incredible comeback

Steven Alker. Mr Consistency