Power Rankings: The Senior Open Championship

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Editor's note: Vartan Kupelian is the Champions Tour Insider and a PGATOUR.COM Contributor. Each week, Kupelian will size up the field and provide his top 5 players going into the tournament, based on factors such as the player's strengths, the course setup, recent performances, etc.

Bernhard Langer finally broke through to win his first Champions Tour major at last year's Senior British Open.

The three-time Player of the Year returns to the Champions Tour this week following a four-month layoff after undergoing surgery on his left thumb. He will defend his Senior British Open title at Walton Heath.

Langer last played on the Champions Tour in March at the Toshiba Classic, where he finished T28. He won The ACE Group Classic in February.

Langer and runner-up Corey Pavin staged an intense duel down the stretch last year at Carnoustie, with Langer finally prevailing by one stroke. Langer shot a final-round 72. Pavin rallied from a two-shot deficit at the start of the final round with a 1-under 70. A week later, Langer added his second Champions Tour major title by winning the U.S. Senior Open.

This week's Champions Tour Power Rankings for the Senior British Open:

Power Rankings: The Senior Open Championship

Rank Player   Comment Tom LEHMAN Began the final round of the British Open at Royal St. George's with an outsider's chance to win before a closing 75 dropped him into a tie for 22nd -- a very commendable showing by the 52-year-old who already has three victories this year. Tom WATSON Anytime the word "British" is attached to a tournament, the Watson watch is on high alert. It's not idle chatter as Watson proved at Royal St. George's where, at age 61, he posted his best 72-hole score ever, 6-over 286 to match Lehman's T22 finish. John COOK The British Isles owe him one after the mishap at the 1992 Open Championship at Muirfield, and this is as good a time as any with Cook enjoying a banner Champions Tour campaign. He's won three times already to match Lehman. Nick PRICE One victory (Toshiba Classic), eight top-10 finishes, second in the Charles Schwab Cup points list and perched near the top of every Champions Tour statistical category says it all - the 1994 British Open champion is having a very big year indeed. Tom PERNICE JR. Narrowly missed becoming the second oldest winner in PGA TOUR history at last week's Viking Classic, where he finished a shot behind Chris Kirk. He finished at Annandale with three straight 67s, so his game is hitting on all cylinders.