FAIRFIELD GLADE-A strong field will tee off here in the Tennessee Men’s Senior State Open, to be held at Stonehenge Golf Club May 24-25.

Tennessee Professional Golf Association and City of Crossville officials said the field is very deep and strong.

“In just its second year of existence, we can honestly say that the Senior State Open is going to showcase the top senior talent the state has to offer,” said  TPGA tournament director David Olinger. “Stonehenge will be set up in a way that will pose a tremendous challenge to the competitors this week.”

The Senior Open will be the first of three state championships held in Crossville again this year. The Tennessee Women’s Open Golf Championship, also held at Stonehenge, and the Tennessee Team Golf Championship, held at Lake Tansi, will both be played in July.

The field at the Senior Open contains players from literally one end of the state to the other, and is tilted fairly heavily again this year to the amateur side.

There are 51 amateurs this year, a few more than last year, when pros Harry Taylor and pro Rob Long finished first and second, respectively. Pros Will Brewer and Hunt Gilliland finished fourth and T-5, respectively, but amateurs fared very well after that. Amateur Steve Golliher finished third, and there were 15 amateurs among the top 25 spots in 2010.

Taylor fired two under-par rounds to win last year’s tournament. Taylor’s rounds of 70 and 69 (five under) were good enough to top Long by a single stroke. Long made a second-round surge, with a tournament-low 67, to challenge Taylor down the stretch. The final round started with 11 players within five strokes of the lead.

Taylor was the only player in the field to break par in both rounds of the tourney. Long shot 73 in the opening round. Amateur Danny Green of Jackson was the first-round leader, firing a 69. He shot 76 in the second round to wind up tied for fifth at one-over par. Only Taylor, Long and Steve Golliher of Knoxville (-1) were under par for the tournament.

For more information on the Senior State Open, contact Olinger at (615) 790-7600 or visit www.tnsenioropen.com. You can also call Stonehenge pro Warren Huddleston at (931) 484-3731.