SHEPHERDSVILLE, KY (June 27, 2021) – The Kentucky Senior Open kicks off the 2021 slate of State Opens tomorrow at Heritage Hill Golf Club. This 36-hole competition signifies the most prestigious senior golf tournament in the state with nearly ninety players entered, each hoping to write the next bit of history in this coveted tournament.

This year’s field is composed of a large number of amateurs, seventy to be exact, while nineteen professionals are entered. Twenty-eight players will compete in the Super Senior Division, which is open to players aged 60 or older. All other entrants will be looking to follow in the footsteps of Mark Knecht, who won this tournament in dominant fashion last year at Frankfort Country Club. Knecht will have something to say about that, however, as he is in the field and leads the list of notable names competing this week. (Each player’s first round tee time is in parenthesis.)

• Mark Knecht (11:10 a.m. EDT) – It was not just the Kentucky Senior Open that Knecht won last year. He also won the Kentucky Senior Amateur, winning him the “Kentucky Senior Slam.” For Knecht to repeat that feat in 2021, the first step will be to hold the trophy on Tuesday in Shepherdsville. The second step of the conquest, this year’s Kentucky Senior Amateur, would be attempted on August 16-17 at University of Louisville Golf Club should he prevail again this week.
• Rick Cain (12:50 p.m.) – The first ever winner of the Kentucky Senior Open. Cain won the inaugural edition in 2000 and won it for a second time in 2002.
• Tom Campbell (9:00 a.m.) – Last year’s recipient of the Tom Musselman Award from the Kentucky Golf Association, highlighting the Player of the Year in the 50-59 age bracket. He was the runner-up in this tournament last year, finishing four strokes shy of Knecht.
• Al Chrouser (9:30 a.m.) – “The silver fox” and another past champion of this tournament, having won in 2010.
• Steve Cox (9:00 a.m.) – Cox won this title two years ago at Houston Oaks Golf Course but was unable to defend his title last year due to injury. He’s back this time around and has had a strong tournament season thus far in Kentucky PGA competition.
• Greg Engle (9:20 a.m.) – Engle was the recipient of the Dale Barnstable Award in 2020, which recognizes the Kentucky Golf Association’s top player between the ages of 60 and 69. Alongside David Rudder, he won the Kentucky Senior Team Championship earlier in the month at The University Club at Arlington.
• Ralph Landrum (10:20 a.m.) – The decorated professional out of Northern Kentucky who competed in major championships and has won illustrious trophies such as the Kentucky Open and Kentucky PGA Professional Championship. This is one of the seemingly few tournaments he has not yet won. Maybe this will be the week for him to add the Kentucky Senior Open.
• Bruce Oldendick (11:10 a.m.) – In 2019, Oldendick lost this tournament in a playoff to Cox. That feels like the only tournament he hasn’t won ever since turning fifty. He was the Kentucky PGA’s ROLEX Senior Player of the Year in 2020 and has gotten off to a great start this year to do so again in 2021.
• David Rudder (8:40 a.m.) – As referenced above, he won the Kentucky Senior Team Championship earlier in the month aside Greg Engle. With the amount of talent in Rudder’s body, he should be just fine on his own this week and could very well be near the top of the leaderboard late in the final round.
• Tony Wise (9:10 a.m.) – Wise recently finished as the low senior in the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Kentucky Amateur at Audubon Country Club. He finished T38 that week with an even-par score.

Click here to view Monday’s tee times

Golf House Kentucky will have full coverage of the championship on its Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. When the final group reaches the 18th hole of Tuesday’s final round, a live-stream will be available to view on Facebook. Should a playoff be necessary, that will also be live-streamed.

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