As excitement builds, we ask: how did Indianwood recieve the honor to host the 2012 U.S. Senior Open in the first place?

Indianwood Golf and Country Club has hosted two U.S. Women’s Opens, and it was the dream of the Aldridge Family to hold a U.S. Senior Open at the course.

The Aldridge family approached David Fay, the former United States Golf Association (USGA) Executive Director, about the opportunity.

USGA Championship Communications Manager Brian DePasquale said two factors go into the USGA’s decision to accept a course’s invitation to host a championship:

• Is the golf course a tough test for the best senior players? Does it provide a complete examination of the players’ skills?
• The viability of the host club to have infrastructure and develop resources. Does the club have a volunteer base, community support and operational capabilities?

"In the specific case of Indianwood, the USGA considers the state of Michigan as a premier region for championship golf," DePasquale said.

The time has arrived for the Senior Open at Indianwood, drawing fans and golfers from across the country.

The veteran field is comprised of 156 golfers, including Fred Couples, Tom Watson and Mark O'Meara.

The Championship begins Thursday with T-Times starting at 7:30 a.m.

Wednesday is "Free Military Day," where retired and active service members get a a free grounds ticket for showing their military ID at the gate.

The history

The inaugural Senior Open in 1980 was held for golfers 55 and older.

According to the USGA's website, the age minimum was lowered to 50 to make the championship more competitive. The USGA believed that lowering the minimum age would place the Senior Open in the mainstream of other senior competitions.

Arnold Palmer won the second Senior Open at Oakland Hills Country Club in Birmingham, Mich.

A pipe bomb was discovered near a service gate at Indianwood a few days before the event was scheduled to start.

For tickets and more information, visit the official website of the 2012 U.S. Senior Open.