Spotlight on Inverness

7/28/2011

The legends of golf have returned to the historic Inverness Club for one of the sport's most prestigious events -- and the Toledo community could not be prouder.

Inverness has hosted many major championships in the past, so many of the golfers who tee off today in the 2011 U.S. Senior Open will have been here before. But the thrill of bringing the marquee tournament for seniors to town never gets old, so to speak.

Golfing favorites such as Dale Douglass, who's competing in a record 26th consecutive Senior Open, and Hale Irwin, who won the 1979 U.S. Open at Inverness, lead a field of seasoned veterans on one of the top golf courses in the country. But it has taken months to get ready for the popular United States Golf Association event, from preparing for the crush of visitors and tournament spectators, to making sure Inverness' fairways and greens are up to par -- a task that was made more difficult by last week's thunderstorms.

Defending champion Bernhard Langer of Germany hopes to join a handful of elite players, including Mr. Irwin, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player, who have won more than one Senior Open. But beating the other top pros over 50 won't be easy. Five of the golfers playing this week have won titles before at Inverness.

Toledo will shine under the national spotlight as it welcomes the best senior players in the world. And the city invites the hundreds of thousands of fans who follow the senior tour to enjoy the action on the golf course and, between rounds, to explore some of the many other attractions northwest Ohio has to offer.