Preparations under way for Senior Open in 2010 at Sahalee

The U.S. Senior Open is more than two years away at Sahalee Country Club on the Sammamish Plateau but preparations for the 2010 event have been under way for months.

The United States Golf Association moved an employee, Mike Zinga, to Sammamish last December to serve as championship director.

Timothy J. Flaherty, director of the U.S. Amateur and Senior Open, visited in mid-April and said the USGA hopes the tournament week, including practice rounds, attracts a total crowd of between 125,000 and 150,000.

The USGA plans to play Sahalee as a par-70 with yardage of more than 6,800 yards. Holes No. 6 and No. 18, which are par-5s for members, will be par-4s for the tournament.

"Sahalee has a great track record," said Flaherty, referring to the 1998 PGA Championship and 2002 NEC Championship.

A notable field is guaranteed for the July 29-Aug. 1 event because past champions of the tournament are exempted for life, the top 50 career money winners are exempted and so are the top 30 money winners on the previous year's Champions Tour.

The field of 156 is cut after two rounds.

Seattle native Fred Couples turns 50 in 2010 and will be eligible to play in the event.

Ticket fees haven't been set but children 17 and under will be free when accompanied by a paying adult, Zinga said.

The Boeing Classic, the annual Champions Tour stop in the Seattle area, also is scheduled to be held in 2010. Flaherty said what has occurred in the past is that the Champions Tour changes its schedule so that the Senior Open and Champions Tour event are held back-to-back so golfers come to the area for both events.

Flaherty noted the popularity of the Boeing Classic and said it should help the Senior Open because fans are familiar with many of the golfers and the quality of the golf.

Sahalee has a new clubhouse and one change from the two PGA Tour visits to the course will be that there will be some corporate entertaining inside the clubhouse. Another is that there will be a new entrance for buses, and traffic in the neighborhood will be reduced.

Craig Smith: 206-464-8279 or csmith@seattletimes.com