Richard Green shoots career-low 9-under 62 to take Rogers Charity Classic lead

Things to Know

• Despite a double bogey at the par-3 12th hole, Richard Green cards a career-low 9-under 62 to take his first 36-hole lead in his bid for a maiden PGA TOUR Champions victory.
• Angling for a third career win on PGA TOUR Champions, Ken Tanigawa aces the par-3 16th en route to his PGA TOUR Champions career-low score of 9-under 61; also ties the Canyon Meadows G&CC course record.
• Ken Duke opens his title defense in 69-67 (T37/-4) to extend his perfect streak of scores in the 60s in the event to 11.

Richard Green (1st/-13)

• With birdies on nine of his first 11 holes, six of which were consecutive (Nos. 6-11), the 53-year-old Australian signed for a 9-under 62, supplanting his previous career-low score of 63
• A double-bogey-five at the par-3 12th was his lone blemish in round two
• Through 36 holes, he has played Canyon Meadows’ front nine in 10-under-par, as opposed to 3-under on Nos. 10-18
• Best 36-hole position in a 54-hole event on PGA TOUR Champions before this week was T2 at the 2023 Dominion Energy Charity Classic (finished T2)
• In his only previous Rogers Charity Classic start, finished T12 in 2023 on the strength of a final-round 6-under 64
• Three-times a runner up in 46 PGA TOUR Champions starts before this week, remains in search of his first win
• Two of those runner-up finishes are among six top-10 finishes this season: KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship and The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex; comes off a T8 at last week’s Boeing Classic

Additional Notes

• Making his second start in the Rogers Charity Classic and first since a T47 in 2023, Boo Weekley (T2/-12) improved on an opening-round 5-under 65 with a 63 in round two; continues in his effort for a first PGA TOUR Champions top-10 finish and victory in his 23rd start this week
• After a 1-under start on his outgoing nine holes, Steven Alker birdied six holes on Nos. 10-18 to sign for a 7- under 63 and move to T2 at 7-under 128; in his only previous Rogers Charity Classic start, finished T21 in 2023
• Beginning his round on No. 10, Ken Tanigawa (T4/-11) aced the par-3 16th from 210 yards using a 5-iron en route to a bogey-free and PGA TOUR Champions career-low 9-under 61 (previously 64); the 61 also matches Canyon Meadows’ course record; each of his three top-10 finishes this season came in consecutive starts in June; in his most recent four starts since that stretch, a 56th at last week’s Boeing Classic marks his best
• With only one bogey through 36 holes, World Golf Hall of Fame member Padraig Harrington signed for a 6- under 64 in Saturday’s second round to move to T4 at 11-under 129; this week’s Rogers Charity Classic marks his second start in the event and comes after finished T3 in 2022; vying for his third win of the season (Hoag Classic, DICK’S Open), which would place him in a tie for the most with Ernie Els and Calgary’s Stephen Ames
• PGA Professional Jason Caron birded five holes on the back nine (Nos. 10, 11, 13, 16, 18) to close with a 6- under 64 and sits T4; seeks his first PGA TOUR Champions win (4 starts); best finish (T4/2024 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship)
• Vying to become the season’s first four-time winner, Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Stephen Ames opened his 10th Rogers Charity Classic with scores of 67-66 to sit T14 at 7-under 133; previous top-10 finishes in the event: T5/2015, T6/2021; comes off his third win of the season at last week’s Boeing Classic; with a win this week, would join Els (Principal Charity Classic, American Family Insurance Championship) as players to win in consecutive weeks this season.
• After rounds of 68-67 to reach 5-under 135, Canada’s Mike Weir will head into the final of his fourth Rogers Charity Classic T25 at 5-under 135; lone top-10 finish in the first three, a T9, came in his first start of 2021.
• Playing on a sponsor exemption in his third PGA TOUR Champions event, standout Calgarian golfer Steve Blake improved on an opening-round 79 with a 74 in round two; in September 2023, Blake was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer and given a prognosis of having 12 to 24 months to live.
• Other Canadians in the field: Alan McLean (T14/-7), Gordon Burns (75th/+6).