Richard Green has found a comfort zone at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club. The 55-year-old Australian followed a runner-up finish at the Rogers Charity Classic in 2024 by winning his first PGA Tour Champions title at the Calgary course a year later. Now Green is back looking to continue that run — and defend his title against a field that includes red-hot tour rookie Zach Johnson and Canadian favourite Mike Weir. “It’s been exciting just to come back to a place where I’ve had some happy memories,” Green said. “This week is just a matter of trying to treat it like any other week and go out there and do my best.” After finishing second behind Ken Tanigawa two years ago, Green upped his game in 2025 to capture his first PGA Tour Champions title, finishing 18 under to beat Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez by one stroke. “There’s a little bit of extra expectation, obviously, from playing so well here over the last couple of years and hopefully I can do it again,” Green said. “It would be really nice to get out there and defend and put on a good show.” To accomplish his goal, Green will have to fend off challenges from the likes of Johnson and Boo Weekley, who are ranked second and fourth, respectively, on the senior tour’s Charles Schwab Cup money list. “It just builds your confidence to know that you can win out here among the guys that play on the Champions Tour,” said Green, who’s currently sitting 24th on this year’s money list. “It’s the elite of the elite, if you like, that are playing out here. A win among these guys is pretty good for your confidence. I would have loved to have gone on since Calgary last year and won again, but the competition is just getting harder and harder. You’ve just got to keep on top of your game and keep trying and keep putting yourself there and see what happens.” Since turning 50 on Feb. 24, Johnson has won four PGA Tour Champions tournaments, becoming the first player with four victories in his rookie season since Padraig Harrington in 2022. The two-time major winner (2007 Masters, 2015 British Open) will tee it up Friday alongside fellow Masters champions Weir (2003) and Vijay Singh (2000). It will be Johnson’s first tournament since winning the inaugural Portugal Invitational at The Els Club Vilamoura on Aug. 2 for his third victory in a four-start span. “I just want to continue good play,” said Johnson, who credited his caddie Brian Smith for his help. “Where I finish is a byproduct of staying where my feet are, playing good golf. We’ve got a good system going. I would say just a good template for how we’re navigating golf courses, how we’re keeping perspective on things and not getting too high with the highs or too low with the lows. I don’t have any other expectations other than just to execute shots.” Johnson is looking forward to playing the Par-70, 7,086-yard Canyon Meadows course. “Nice to be here,” he said. “Weather is spectacular. The course is great. Everything about this event, which I was told is spectacular, and so far, this place has not disappointed. And it won’t. I can already feel it.” Joining Green and Tanigawa as previous champions in Calgary are Jerry Kelly (2022), Ken Duke (2023), Scott McCarron (2017 and 2018), Carlos Franco (2019) and Jeff Maggert (2015). The field also includes three World Golf Hall of Famers in Singh, Retief Goosen and Bernhard Langer as well as a pair of Canadian Golf Hall of Famers in Weir and Stephen Ames. “It’s awesome for us Canadians, like Stephen and I, to come back and play in front of home fans, feel that support and extra oomph on some of the tee boxes and greens,” Weir said. “We have such great fan support here. It’s probably the best, well-attended Champions event on the tour, so to have that in Canada, I’m proud of that, for sure.” Other than placing ninth in 2021 and 20th in 2024, Weir finished well down in the standings during the other three times he competed in Calgary. “I just haven’t played well for some reason,” Weir admitted. “I haven’t played well here the last little bit. My game feels like it’s a little bit sharper right now. I took a month off, played last week. I was a little bit rusty, but my game feels good. “It’s probably between the ears. I’ve got to sharpen it up and get off to a good start. In three-round events, you have to get off to a good start, and I haven’t been doing that this year, so hopefully I get off to a good start on Friday.” Calgary’s Wes Martin is back competing at his hometown event after finishing as the top Canadian one year ago at 4 under in a four-way tie for 38th place. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 20, 2026. Laurence Heinen, The Canadian Press
