Boston – The US Senior Open is returning to the Salem Country Club in 2017.
The USGA announced it is returning to the Donald Ross-designed course in Peabody, Massachusetts, for the first time since Bruce Fleischer won the Senior Open there in a rain-soaked but well-attended tournament in 2001.
“We had a great week back then,” said Tim Flaherty, the USGA official in charge of the tournament.
“It’s the golf course – one of the very best golf courses in the country. It’s a great old gem; it’s a classic.”
Salem also hosted the US Women’s Open in 1954 and 1984, the 1932 US Women’s Amateur and the 1977 US Men’s Senior Amateur. The course has a smaller footprint that prevents it from hosting a US Open, but some changes have been made on the grounds since 2001 that will open up operational space, Flaherty said.
Flaherty said the course, which played in 2001 as a 6 709-yard, par-70, won’t need any major changes to prepare it for the USGA.
“There may be a place where we ask for a tee or something like that,” he said. “But the thing about Salem is that we don’t really have to do anything. We’ve got a Donald Ross classic we’re thrilled to be going to.” – Sapa-AP