This story first appeared in the Fall 2025 edition of Northern Ohio Golfer Magazine, the official print publication of the Northern Ohio Golf Association. NOGA members who provide an address in their GHIN account receive a copy mailed to their home twice per year. Not yet a NOGA member? Join for 2026 now!
Northern Ohio Has Two USGA Championships in 2027
It’s likely there wasn’t a plan to make Northern Ohio the epicenter of American national championship golf in 2027, but that’s how it will play out nonetheless.
The United States Golf Association is bringing two of its national championships to the region in 2027, when the U.S. Women’s Open heads to Inverness Club in Toledo on June 3-6, 2027, and the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship goes to Canterbury Golf Club in Cleveland on August 9-15, 2027.
But First, Columbus Gets a Major in 2026
But before Inverness and Canterbury take the stage in 2027, central Ohio will host a USGA championship first. Next year, Scioto Country Club in Columbus will present the U.S. Senior Open on June 29 through July 5, 2026.
Word is that the dates of that particular Senior major were set in consultation with a particularly well-known player who turns 50 years old this December, making him eligible. He’s a guy who has won 82 times on the PGA TOUR and has nine USGA titles to his credit. The story goes that only when it was certain this player had no potential conflicting events that week were the dates for Scioto set. Hmm, I can’t imagine who they are talking about.
Scioto has a long history of major championships and USGA national events. In 1926, it hosted the U.S. Open won by Bobby Jones. The Ryder Cup was played at Scioto in 1931, won by the American team. The 1950 PGA Championship was played at Scioto, won by Chandler Harper. The USGA brought the U.S. Amateur to Scioto in 1968, won by Bruce Fleisher.
Most recently, Scioto has been the site for recurring U.S. Senior Opens. Dale Douglass won the Senior Open played there in 1986, then Gene Sauers took that title in 2016. Obviously, the USGA thinks Scioto and the U.S. Senior Open are a perfect match, as the event returns to the Donald Ross gem once again in 2026.
Inverness Has a History
The 2027 U.S. Women’s Open to Inverness is a great match, as the Donald Ross-designed Toledo club has hosted its fair share of major championships and national USGA events.
The U.S. Open has been played at Inverness four times, albeit well in the past (in 1920 won by Ted Ray, 1931 Billy Burke, 1957 Dick Mayer, and 1979 Hale Irwin).
More recently, the PGA Championship has been set there twice (1986 Bob Tway, 1993 Paul Azinger).
Inverness Club has also hosted the U.S. Amateur (1973 Craig Stadler), the U.S. Senior Open twice (2003 Bruce Lietzke, 2011 Olin Browne), and the U.S. Junior Amateur (2019 Preston Summerhays).
The focus was global in 2021, when Team Europe won the LPGA’s Solheim Cup at Inverness.
The Canterbury Tale is Strong, Too
Canterbury Golf Club’s tournament-tested Herbert Strong layout has seen a long list of big championships contested at the Cleveland area icon.
Back when the Western Open had quasi-major status in the thirties, it was played twice at Canterbury (1932 Walter Hagen, 1937 Ralph Guldahl).
The U.S. Open was conducted twice at Canterbury in the forties (1940 Lawson Little, 1946 Lloyd Mangrum).
In 1973, Jack Nicklaus won the PGA Championship there. The Senior PGA Championship was played at Canterbury, too (2009 Michael Allen).
The USGA brought the U.S. Amateur to Canterbury twice (1964 William C. Campbell, 1979 Mark O’Meara) and the U.S. Senior Open once (1996, Dave Stockton).
From 2016 through 2018, Canterbury hosted the PGA TOUR’s DAP Championship, one of the web.com tour’s championship events, with Bryson DeChambeau winning that first title.
The Future Repeats
Inverness, Canterbury and Scioto are in line for more events than just those coming up in 2026 and 2027. Those three sites seem to be USGA favorites, and additional national championships have been scheduled at each location during the next 10 years.
Inverness will host the U.S. Amateur Championship in Toledo on August 13-19, 2029.
Canterbury will host the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship in Cleveland on August 27-September 1, 2033.
Scioto will host the U.S. Amateur Championship in Columbus on August 11-17, 2036.
And farthest into the future, Canterbury will host the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship in Cleveland in 2039. The USGA hasn’t set the exact date yet, but there’s time: it’s 14 years away.
Tickets to Tournaments
To get tickets to the 2026 U.S. Senior Open at Scioto now, or the 2027 U.S. Women’s Open at Inverness when they become available, visit the USGA Championship Tickets page. Tickets are not required for entrance into the 2027 U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur at Canterbury.
