The Senior Open 2024 Preview, Picks & Analysis

Alex Cejka will defend his Senior Open title at Carnoustie this week hoping that the weather is somewhat kinder than it was 12 months ago when he won in brutal conditions at Royal Porthcawl.

The German defeated Padraig Harrington at the second playoff hole. Cejka had two birdies, five bogeys and a double-bogey in horrendous conditions to card a five-over 76, with Harrington posting a final-round 75 to join him on five over after missing an eagle attempt for outright victory on the final hole.

The players returned to the par-five 18th for a playoff, where Harrington tapped in for birdie - after almost holing his eagle putt from off the back of the green - and Cejka two-putted from 30 feet to extend the contest.

Harrington then missed the green with his approach on the second playoff hole and could only make par, as Cejka posted a two-putt birdie to claim the win and add to his senior major victories in 2021 at the Regions Tradition and KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.

"I still can't believe it," Cejka said. "It's been a really tough week. It's been a really tough two days. I can't believe I'm standing with the trophy here. Seeing all those great names on the trophy, coming in here with all the pictures and everything, all the guys who won it before me, now holding it myself, it's surreal."

Carnoustie is one of the toughest links courses on the planet so trust me when I tell you that everybody in the field this week will be praying for some decent weather.

Spare a thought for Richard Bland. He won the Senior PGA Championship and the Senior US Open but because of his affiliation with LIV Golf he will not be in the field this week. My views on LIV Golf are well recorded here but it strikes me that if we really are hoping for any kind of a peace deal in our sport then room should be made for an Englishman who has enjoyed a sensation autumn to his career and would definitely have been a contender.

For the life of me I cannot understand why Bland refuses to pay the fines imposed by the DP World Tour that mean he cannot play at Carnoustie. It is not as if he can’t afford it. And surely his Saudi paymasters would have a field day if he were to play and win the Senior Open. There is also another issue - the LIV Golf tour are in action in England this week.

Harrington won The Open here and it remains one of his favourite courses. 

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

At the 2007 Open he defeated Sergio Garcia in a four-hole playoff at Carnoustie, becoming the first Irishman to win The Open in 60 years. Both players went into the playoff having shot a seven-under 277 for the championship. Harrington subsequently won by one stroke in the playoff.

He may now be in his fifties but the Irishman works as hard on his game now as he did when he was in his prime and is still easily capable of propelling the golf ball in excess of 300 yards. Since joining the Champions Tour in 2022 he has won eight times and has already claimed two victories in 2024. He will be a hard man to beat at Carnoustie.

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 and last year by Alex Cjeka. There was no tournament in 2020.

The Course:

Arguably the toughest links course on the planet. The absolute key to scoring well here is to avoid the punishing rough and keep out of the pot bunkers. It is a par 71 that measure 6,941 yards.

To Win:

Padraig Harrington. Still believes he can win anywhere

Each Way:

Alex Cjeka. Ferocious competitor

Five to Follow:

Padraig Harrington. Hits it a mile

Alex Cjeka. Great around the greens

Bernhard Langer. Legend!

Stephen Ames. Money-making machines

Steven Alker. Walking on water since turning 50