Day three of the Rogers Charity Classic in Calgary served up plenty of action as Ken Tanigawa put together a final round charge to overhaul the overnight leader Richard Green with a timely six-under 64.
He sealed the victory by two on -17 as Green’s wait for a first Champion’s Tour win goes on. Darren Clarke went on a run of his own to secure a tie for third place, just three back from Tanigawa and beating his fourth spot here from last season. Harrington couldn’t maintain his fast start as he carded a level-par to slip back three places to end the week tied for seventh.
Clarke was able to iron out the wrinkles on his third walk around Canyon Meadows as he carded a clean final day including five birdies, with three coming in his final five holes. His third-place finish moves Clarke up nine positions on the Charles Schwab cup rankings, leaving him sitting in 20th with eight events remaining in the regular season action.
Harrington was out of the traps hot with three birdies on-the-bounce to begin his final round. He couldn’t maintain that pace however, handing shots back at the next, the par-five fourth and again on the short ninth hole turning on one-under. The back nine was a bit of a struggle for the Dubliner, his only birdie coming on the par-four 13th before two bogeys in his final four saw him finish off the week with an even-par 70 to tidy up on -11 for the tournament.
This Sunday, however, belonged to Tanigawa, whose last victory came in 2019, when he captured the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Oak Hill. Tanigawa got the hot start that he needed with five birdies on his first seven holes, weathered a tough putting patch in the midst of the round (incurring bogeys at Nos. 8 and 12) and came up with two pivotal birdies at the end. These two birdies on the 15th and 17th were to prove the difference as his two-stroke victory over Green was to prove definitive.
“It’s been a long time since 2019 to be in this position,” said Tanigawa, who improved 21 spots, to 12th, in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup standings. “Time goes by, and you wonder if you can win again. To be able to do it … just over the moon.”
“I’m probably that typical golfer, right?” Tanigawa said. “We all kind of grumble out here. Things don’t go well, you feel like you’re on the ledge, right? “It’s never as bad as we make it out to be. Just hang in there. ‘Hey, you’re obviously a pretty decent golfer if you’re out here playing, so just keep your head on, stay patient and just forge on and plug away.’ … Jeez, here I am.”
This victory comes as a timely one, breaking a run of 123 starts on the PGA Champions Tour without a win. The success in Canada bumped Tanigawa 21 spots up the season rankings, leaving him in a projected 12th place.
Jason Caron, a club pro who only made the week after the withdrawal of Thongchai Jaidee, took his alternate spot with both hands. Just his fourth start on the Champions Tour this year finishing tied with Clarke on third spot, earning him a spot at next weekend’s Ally Challenge in Michigan. Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club is the backdrop in Grand Blanc. Both Harrington and Clarke will head to Warwick Hills looking to build on decent performances in Canada.
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