Kelly entered the final day on the King’s Course in a share of the lead with Australia’s Cameron Percy but got off to a blistering start and was soon three ahead, a lead he maintained at the turn.

Fellow Aussie Matt Gogel was not going to let him have it all his own way, however, and he signed for a bogey-free 63 to set the target at eight under, one back with Kelly playing the back nine.

The leader failed to take advantage of the driveable 14th and kept leaving himself a long way from the hole but his lag putting was magnificent and he kept his nose in front, despite struggling to execute a full swing after hurting his back on the sixth.

As the final group stood on the 18th tee in pouring rain and Gogel watched on in the clubhouse, the tension was palpable, but Kelly hit a brilliant drive down the par five and despite finding sand with his second, got up and down brilliantly for a closing birdie, a 68, a ten under par total and a third Senior Major title.

KELLY CROWNED KING #ISPSHANDASeniorOpen #SeniorOpen ….

Jerry Kelly capturing a third senior major on the Kings ⛳️ @GleneaglesGolf @euLegendsTour

Read: https://t.co/Ph5dlz9qgo

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— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) July 26, 2026

Percy, Gogel and South Africa’s Darren Fichardt finished at eight under, two shots clear of local hero Stephen Gallacher, who carded the lowest round of the week with a 62.

Kelly was a three-time winner on the PGA TOUR and Presidents Cup player in 2003 before entering the senior game, where he has 14 wins on the PGA TOUR Champions, including two Senior Players Championships.

And he can now add the Senior Open trophy to his collection after it was presented to him by former UK Prime Minister Lord Cameron.

“It’s indescribable to win it,” said an enotional Kelly, who dedicated the victory to his niece’s late husband.

“The senior Claret Jug is the trophy that I’ve wanted as an over-50 golfer more than any other. To do it in Scotland at the home of golf and to actually win and get into the Home of Golf at St Andrews, I mean, I’m absolutely speechless.

“To be on this trophy, to be a part of this trophy, to be a part of the R&A, I just love it over here, I really do. It brings it full circle that I didn’t do what I wanted to in The Open Championship but to get it done here, I mean, I’m over the moon.

“But it’s been this Scotland army out here that’s been behind me that really brought me through, and I really appreciate the people for getting behind me and just lifting me up when things were going low, saying you’ve got this and really pulling me through. I really appreciate Scotland itself.”

He added: “My brain, actually, was the most successful part of my game. In the past I would have gotten down that I wasn’t striking it the way I’d like to strike it. But instead of worrying about that, I just went and took care of the next shot.

“I learned a lot about myself today, and I wish I would have learned it about 20, 30 years ago. You’re never too old to learn, and that’s what really pulled me through.

“Hitting a couple of speed putts from 90, 100 feet on a couple of those holes, it was kind of enjoyable to put the strikes on it. You get the second putts, some of them tailed away, as well.”

Kelly started the day at eight under with Percy but was soon into double figures as he holed from 15 feet on the first and 18 feet on the third.

A Percy three-putt on the third had Kelly three ahead and while he dropped a shot at the sixth as he failed to get up and down from a bunker, a tee shot to ten feet at the eighth had him back at ten under.

More bunker trouble at the 11th saw Kelly surrender another shot and when Gogel played a brilliant aerial chip at the 18th to help add to birdies at the second, sixth, seventh, ninth, tenth and 12th, the advantage was just one.

Kelly, however, put on a dogged display down the back nine and his closing birdie was followed by big celebrations on the 18th green.

Percy three-putted the sixth and could not get up and down at the 11th but he made three birdies on the back nine to card a level par 70.

Fichardt recovered from a bogey on the first with gains at the fifth, ninth, 14th and 15th and a closing birdie after a brilliant bunker shot in his 66.

Gallacher started the day ten shots back but was threatening an incredible comeback when he turned in 29 and birdied the tenth and 11th. A bogey on the 12th stalled his momentum, however, and while he added two more birdies, he had left himself with too muuch work to do.

American Taggart Ridings finished at five under, one ahead of 2024 Senior Open winner KJ Choi, two-time Major Champion Zach Johnson, former Ryder Cup player Boo Weekley and Italy’s Emanuele Canonica.

• Thanks to DP World Tour