Rogers Charity Classic: Racing car enthusiast Green races to the top

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In his free time (which doesn’t take up much time during the busy golf season), Richard Green can often be found on the racetrack, comfortably behind the wheel of his Porsche 991 GT3 Cup.

While his beloved car is currently parked, Green will be in the driver’s seat at the 2024 Rogers Charity Classic at Canyon Meadows G&CC in Calgary.

The 53-year-old Australian has a one-stroke lead before the final round.

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He is aiming for his first triumph on the PGA Tour Champions. In the rearview mirror, the chasing group is very close.

“It just so happens that the guys I’m racing with are racing at Phillip Island in Australia this weekend,” Green said. “So I’m getting all their updates and their qualifying and race times, and my car is in the shop. I’ve got to get it out.”

Green will have to give it his all again on Sunday when the tenth champion is crowned at the Rogers Charity Classic.

On Saturday, he effortlessly shot 8-under 62 and shot to the top of the leaderboard with a two-round record of 13 under par.

The racing enthusiast is currently one stroke ahead of Steven Alker and Boo Weekley and two strokes ahead of Jason Caron, Padraig Harrington and Ken Tanigawa.

“Looks like it’s going to be a bit of a Bond fight tomorrow,” said Harrington, a three-time major winner and member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, with a big smile. “You have to go deep. With so many guys at the top of the leaderboard, it looks like one of the leaders needs 6 or 7 under par to make it.”

In fact, it will be full throttle and no brakes, as the sharpshooters of the PGA Tour Champions strive for the white hat award as winners of the Rogers Charity Classic – and the first prize money of 360,000 US dollars.

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Green only had a few speed bumps to overcome on Saturday: he made a bogey on the fifth hole and a double on the twelfth. His scorecard also included 11 birdies, eight of which were on a nine-hole course. Wow.

“That was my best round of golf,” he said afterwards. “And it could have been even better.”

So has he stepped up a gear for the finals?

Green is not exactly a household name, but he has three victories on the former European Tour and has finished runner-up twice this season, which puts him fourth on the Charles Schwab Cup money list.

While Green may not have the same credentials as, for example, Harrington or Darren Clarke, who is four places behind the leader, he has a unique experience that will stand him in good stead on Sunday as he attempts to win what is shaping up to be a true Grand Prix.

Buckle up.

“I try to apply what I’ve learned from racing and the pressure I face driving a race car at high speed to what I feel under pressure on the golf course,” Green said. “Golf is a little more fragile. The movement is more organic. There are a lot of things that can go wrong in your head. Whereas in a race car, it’s a commitment that’s absolutely non-negotiable. When you’re going through a corner at high speed, at the limit, you have to commit. So what I’m taking from my racing for tomorrow is to commit to every shot I play, just like I do.”

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“We’ll see if it helps me or not, but I think so. It’s a very stressful situation to be in a race car and drive close behind others, and I’ve done that before without any problems. Hopefully it will help me tomorrow.”

CHIP SHOTS: Tee times on Sunday are from 10:14 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. Green will play in the final group alongside Alker and Weekley … Weekley, 51, one of golf’s true personalities, is seeking his first victory on the seniors tour. “That would mean a lot to me,” he said, fighting back tears. “I’m busy with my family, so, yeah. I’m not going to do that anymore.” … Tanigawa equaled the course record at Canyon Meadows with a blistering 9-under 61 on Saturday. His scorecard, which he will show soon, included an ace on the 16th hole, where the 56-year-old hammered a 5-iron from 180 yards out. “I didn’t see it go in the hole,” he said. “But it was flying right at it and you can hear all the commotion up there, so you have a feeling it went in. And luckily it went in.” Tanigawa now shares the course record with Fred Couples (2014), Miguel Angel Jimenez (2015) and Michael Bradley (2019) … Calgary’s Steve Blake, supported by a crowd of family, friends and total strangers inspired by his determination to pursue his dreams as he continues treatment for Stage 4 lung cancer, wowed the crowd Saturday with three birdies. He is 13 over par for the tournament.

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