- On Monday, June 1, Miami Valley Golf Club will welcome one of the strongest and most accomplished fields in recent memory for Final Qualifying for the U.S. Senior Open. The field blends PGA TOUR winners, PGA of America professionals, decorated amateurs, Hall of Fame players, and local standouts — all competing for a coveted place in the 2026 U.S. Senior Open Championship.

The championship atmosphere at Miami Valley will feature more than just recognizable names. It will showcase decades of competitive golf success across every level of the game.

Leading the professional contingent are several former PGA TOUR winners and PGA TOUR Champions competitors.

Ben Crane, a five-time PGA TOUR winner, headlines the field with victories including the 2010 Farmers Insurance Open and the 2014 FedEx St. Jude Classic. Crane made multiple Masters and major championship appearances during a PGA TOUR career spanning more than two decades.

Mark Wilson, another five-time PGA TOUR champion, arrives with one of the most successful résumés in the field. Wilson famously captured both the Sony Open in Hawaii and the Waste Management Phoenix Open during the 2011 season, helping propel him into the top 25 of the FedEx Cup standings.

Former PGA TOUR winners Ted Purdy and Frank Lickliter II also bring elite experience to Miami Valley. Purdy captured the 2005 EDS Byron Nelson Championship and competed in all four major championships during his career. Lickliter, a Middletown native and former Wright State standout, won twice on the PGA TOUR and played in more than 460 TOUR events.

Harrison Frazar, winner of the 2011 FedEx St. Jude Classic, joins the field alongside Brandt Jobe, whose career includes victories on both the PGA TOUR Champions and international tours in Japan. Ken Duke, winner of the 2013 Travelers Championship and the 2023 Shaw Charity Classic on PGA TOUR Champions, adds even more tour pedigree.

The field also features several accomplished PGA TOUR Champions players and veteran professionals. Rod Spittle, winner of the 2010 AT&T Championship and member of multiple golf halls of fame, returns to Ohio where he starred collegiately at Ohio State. Cliff Kresge, a three-time Korn Ferry Tour winner and top-10 finisher at the 2003 U.S. Open, adds another accomplished name to the championship.

Among the most respected competitors in the field is Bob Sowards of Dublin, Ohio. Widely regarded as the most accomplished PGA Professionals since the 90's, Sowards owns a record nine national Player of the Year honors and has competed in 11 PGA Championships. His résumé includes victories in the PGA Professional Championship and multiple Senior PGA Professional Championships.

Several players arrive with recent momentum in senior competition.

David Plumb earned an exemption into final qualifying after winning the 2025 Kentucky Senior Open, while Matt Vandelac captured back-to-back Minnesota Senior Open titles. Jared Melson won consecutive Tennessee Senior PGA Professional Championships in 2024 and 2025, and Brad Mays claimed the 2025 Indiana PGA Senior Open.

The amateur side of the field is equally impressive.

Doug Hanzel, the 2013 U.S. Senior Amateur champion and member of the Ohio Golf Hall of Fame, leads a group filled with accomplished senior amateurs from across the country. Robert Gerwin II, another Ohio Golf Hall of Fame member, has competed in 29 combined U.S. Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur Championships.

Jim Volpenhein enters as a back-to-back Ohio Senior Amateur champion and seven-time Cincinnati Metropolitan champion, while Mark Knecht reached the quarterfinals of the 2024 U.S. Senior Amateur after previously completing the “Kentucky Senior Slam” by winning both the Kentucky Senior Amateur and Kentucky Senior Open.

Mike Williams, the 2023 Indiana Senior Player of the Year and 2025 Indiana Senior Amateur champion, joins Sean Rowen, winner of the 2015 Indiana Amateur and recent champion of the 2026 IGA Mid-Am Team Championship.

Several competitors bring extensive USGA championship experience to Miami Valley.

Peter Samborsky II, one of the most decorated amateur players in Miami Valley golf history, has competed in the U.S. Senior Open, two U.S. Amateur Championships, and two U.S. Mid-Amateurs. Samborsky also captured five Miami Valley Metropolitan Championships and previously coached the Wright State men’s golf program.

Jonathan Clark, a Marshall University Hall of Fame member and two-time West Virginia Open champion, joins fellow accomplished amateurs including Greg Davies, a Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member with seven USGA championship appearances, and Jerry Gunthorpe, a self-taught competitor who recently won the 2026 Senior Division National Championship.

The host club will also be well represented.

Miami Valley Golf Club Head Professional Rik Cramer successfully advanced through local qualifying after shooting 72 at Worthington Hills Country Club. Cramer, a longtime leader in Dayton golf, will have the opportunity to compete for a national championship berth on his home course.

The local and regional presence throughout the field adds another compelling layer to the championship.

Southern Ohio will be represented by familiar names including Sam Arnold, Tom Bach, Joseph Moore, Ryan Reichley, Jim Muething, Steve Mitchell, Brett Wetterich, and Marcus Meloan. Several of those players own major accomplishments in Ohio golf, PGA Section competition, and national championships.

Arnold, a Greater Cincinnati PGA Hall of Fame member and three-time PGA Championship qualifier, joins Bach, the longtime Southern Ohio PGA leader and nationally respected instructor. Moore, the head professional at Beavercreek Golf Club, recently advanced to the semifinals of the Southern Ohio PGA Match Play Championship.

The field also includes notable teaching professionals and longtime ambassadors for the game, including Brennan Little — longtime PGA TOUR caddie for players including Gary Woodland and Mike Weir — and Gord Burns, who has competed on PGA TOUR Champions and qualified for the Senior British Open.

From elite touring professionals to decorated amateurs and local legends, the Final Qualifier at Miami Valley Golf Club promises to deliver one of the most competitive days of senior golf in the region in recent years.

With a yet-to-be-determined number of qualifying positions into the 2026 U.S. Senior Open Championship on the line, every shot Monday will matter. Players advancing from Miami Valley Golf Club will earn the opportunity to compete at historic Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, where the U.S. Senior Open will be contested July 2-5.

Complete tee times, player information, and additional championship details are available at: ussropen-mvga.org